AN-ISLAND 
HEROINEBY 

MAPY-B-SLEIGHT 


I'VE  BEEN  —  DYEING  FOR  MY  COUNTRY.  LODOWICK,     SAID  MARGARET 


AN  ISLAND  HEROINE 


THE  STORY  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF 
THE  REVOLUTION 


MARY  BRKCK  SLEIGHT 

AUTHOR  OF  "PRAIRIE  DAYS,"  "FLAG  ON  THE  MILL,"  "THE  KNIGHTS  OF 
SANDY  HOLLOW,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  GEORGE  FOSTER  BARNES 


BOSTON 
LOTHROP  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1898, 

BY 

LOTHROI-  PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 
All  rights  reserved. 


TYPOGRAPHY    BY   C.    J.    PETERS   &   SON, 
BOSTON. 


TO 

2TIjc  Scsccntiants  of  tljc  Hong  Eslanti  patriots 

OF   THE 

AMERICAN  REVOLUTION 

Cfjts  Booft 

IS    INSCRIBED    AND    DEDICATED    BY 

THE  AUTHOR. 


We  see  human  heroism  broken  into  units,  and  say  this  unit  diil  little  — 
might  as  well  not  hare  been.  Jliit  in  this  way  we  might  break  up  a  great 
army  into  units.  Let  us  rather  raise  a  monument  to  the  soltlicrs  whose  brave 
hearts  only  kept  the  ranks  unbroken,  and  met  death  —  a  monument  to  the 
faithful  who  were  not  famous,  and  who  are  precious  as  llie  continuity  of  the 
sunbeams  is  preeious  though  some  of  them  fall  unseen,  and  on  barrenness. 


The  history  of  those  seven  years'  sufferings  will  ne-'er  be  told. 

HRXKY  P.   HEDGES. 


"  These  are  deeds  that  should  not  pass  awciv, 
And  names  that  must  not  witlter,  though  the  earth 
Forgets  her  empires  witii  a  just  decay. ' ' 


PREFACE. 


IN  "  An  Island  Heroine"  the  author  has  aimed  to  tell, 
as  simply  as  possible,  and  without  the  help  of  any 
sensational  element,  the  story  of  the  courage  and  patriot 
ism  of  the  "  East  End"  people  during  the  occupation  of 
Lang  Island  by  the  British,  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  — 
not  only  of  those  who  went  forth  to  battle,  but  of  those 
who  in  village  and  hamlet  and  farmhouse,  forced  by  cir 
cumstances  to  remain  at  home,  toiled  and  endured  and 
waited  with  a  heroism  that  has  rarely  been  excelled. 

"The  history  of  those  seven  years'  suffering,"  said 
the  lion.  Henry  P.  Hedges,  in  an  address  at  the  2OOth 
anniversary  of  Easthampton,  L.I.,  "  will  never  be  told." 
These  words,  chancing  to  come  to  the  author's  notice 
more  than  two  decades  after  they  were  first  uttered, 
aroused  the  feeling  that  there  should  be  at  least  an  at 
tempt  made  to  gather  up  and  put  into  accessible  shape 
the  scattered  records  of  those  heroic  times,  in  order  that 
the  descendants  of  the  Long  Island  patriots  might  know 
of  what  stuff  their  ancestors  were  made,  and,  also,  that 
honor  might  be  given  where  honor  is  due. 

It  has  been  a  labor  of  love  ;  and,  however  imperfectly 
the  story  is  told,  no  pains  have  been  spared  to  make  it 

historically  accurate. 

M.  B.  s. 

SAG  HARBOR,  LONG  ISLAND,  N.Y. 
April  19,  1898. 

5 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  SWEETHEART 9 

*  II.  A  FAIR  YOUNG  REBEL 15 

III.  PRO  PATRIA 27 

IV.  A\  ABSORBING  TOPIC 34 

V.  THE  MEADOWS 39 

VI.  LORD  LION 54 

VII.  A  UNANIMOUS  VOTE 65 

VIII.  WAR 71 

IX.  P.UNKER    llll.l Si 

X.  DEFENCELESS 100 

XI.  AN  EMBARGO 114 

XII.  A  MOONLIGHT  WALK 123 

XIII.  AN  UNEXPECTED  PRIZE 133 

XIV.  A  BRAVE  DEFENCE 138 

XV.  THE  DECLARATION 154 

XVI.  WHAT  NEWS? 162 

XVII.  DOOMED 174 

XVIII.  EXILED 180 

XIX.  A  SOLDIER'S  BRIDE 189 

XX.  A  HAPPY  CONFESSION 193 

XXI.  IN  THE  FIELD 206 

XXII.  A  PRICELESS  Kiss 210 

XXIII.  A  WELCOME  GUEST 217 

XXIV.  A  WANDERING  RUMOR 226 

7 


8 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXV.     A  DISCOVERY 233 

XXVI.     A  FAMOUS  VICTORY 237 

XXVII.     MORE  RUMORS 241 

XXVIII.     A  LETTER 247 

XXIX.     THE  ENEMY  AT  THE  DOOR 254 

XXX.     A  TEMPTING  PROPOSITION 261 

XXXI.     A  RUTHLESS  SWORD-THRUST 268 

XXXII.     A  BRAVE  SHEPHERDESS 272 

XXXIII.  IN  HIDING 282 

XXXIV.  A  GENUINE  ENGLISH  GENTLEMAN' 290 

XXXV.     A  MAY  DAY  IDYI 295 

XXXVI.     THE  YOUNG  MAJOR 302 

XXX VII.     GOLDEN  FLEECE ...  313 

XXXVIII.     A   HOPELESS  QUEST 321 

XXXIX.     DUNGEONS  OF  DESPAIR 325 

XL.     THE  PRISONER'S  STORY 331 

XLI.      RESCUED 336 

XLII.     A  BRAVE  CHAMPION 344 

XLI  1 1.     A  DARK  DAY 348 

XLIV.     MISSING 358 

XLV.     A  GALA  DAY 360 

XLVI.     TRAITOR  AND  SPY 368 

XIATI.     A  WOUNDED  ENEMY 371 

XLVIII.     A  BLACK  CLOUD 384 

XLIX.     SURRENDERED 391 

L.     A  BELATED  FISHERMAN 395 

LI.     ANOTHER  CARTEI 40^ 

LII.     AN   HEROIC  SACRIFICE 41 2 

L1II.  PEACE  .  /no 


AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   I. 

» 

SWEETHEART. 

IT  was  almost  sundown,  and  the  waning  light  stream 
ing  soft  and  ruddy  across  the  level  landscape  made 
wavering  lines  of  gold  on  the  long  arms  of  the  wind 
mills,  and  turned  to  mammoth  rubies  the  shallow  goose- 
ponds  that  in  their  setting  of  gray  sedge  studded  the 
centre  of  the  village  street. 

Except  for  the  sound  of  an  axe  now  and  then  from 
some  of  the  wayside  woodpiles,  the  place  was  as  silent 
as  a  churchyard  ;  but  from  behind  the  sand-dunes  came 
the  steady  beat  of  the  surf  and  a  murmuring  wind  moist 
with  the  breath  of  the  sea. 

The  street  had  the  generous  proportions  of  an  ave 
nue,  being  from  ten  to  sixteen  rods  in  width,  for  the 
"  fathers  "  that  planned  it  had  the  entire  breadth  of  the 
peninsula  at  their  disposal ;  and,  wiser  in  their  day  and 
generation  than  some  of  the  fathers  of  later  times,  they 
were  not  disposed  to  be  chary  of  their  land.  It  was,  in 
fact,  a  part  of  the  great  thoroughfare  that  ran  from  the 

9 


10  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

town  of  Brooklyn  to  the  meadows  of  Montauk ;  but  it 
was  so  little  travelled  that  in  summer  it  was  as  green  as 
a  common,  and  the  village  geese  so  monopolized  the 
right  of  way  that  wagons  were  often  obliged  to  wait  for 
the  quacking  flocks  to  waddle  aside. 

The  forefathers  were  also  wise  in  their  appreciation 
of  "  sweetness  and  light;  "  and  with  a  view  to  utilizing 
the  sunshine  they  had  adhered  strictly  to  the  custom  of 
making  their  houses  face  the  south,  even  though,  as 
sometimes  happened,  it  forced  the  house  to  turn  its 
back  to  the  street.  The  high  peaked  roof  —  shortened, 
in  many  cases,  in  front  sufficiently  to  give  space  for  the 
upper  windows  to  be  of  the  same  size  as  those  below  — 
sloped  down  behind  in  easy  gradations  to  the  woodshed, 
and  afforded,  no  doubt,  to  the  old-time  boy  a  way  of 
descent  much  more  to  his  mind  than  the  safer  staircase. 

Most  of  the  dwellings  were  plain,  farmhouse-like 
structures,  with  a  marked  family  resemblance,  having 
been  modelled  after  the  venerated  New  England  home 
steads  from  which  the  East  End  people  had  emigrated  ; 
and  the  interiors,  with  the  exception  of  the  elaborate 
panel-work  that  formed  the  wainscoting,  were  usually 
as  plain  as  the  outside.  The  chimney  occupied  more 
than  half  the  side  of  the  keeping-room,  and  the  high 
mantel-piece  above  the  fireplace  boasted  little  in  the  way 
of  bric-a-brac  beyond  a  few  sea-shells  and  peacock 
feathers ;  the  books  were  limited,  except  in  rare  in 
stances,  to  a  handful  of  standard  religious  works,  and 
the  pictures  that  decorated  the  whitewashed  walls  were 
confined  to  Scriptural  scenes. 


SWEETHEART.  I  I 

Near  the  front  door  loomed  the  woodpile.  This  loca 
tion  was  chosen  originally  for  the  facilities  it  offered  as 
an  outlook  for  the  approach  of  an  enemy ;  and,  though 
danger  of  that  sort  had  long  ceased  to  be  apprehended, 
the  boys  who  on  Saturday  afternoon  made  the  chips  fly 
would  have  felt  themselves  defrauded  of  their  rights 

O 

had  the  woodpile  been  relegated  to  the  back  yard,  for 
to  be  able  to  look  the  entire  length  of  the  street  and  see 
a  dozen  other  axes  in  motion  turned  the  task  into  a  pas 
time  ;  and  there  was  hardly  one  of  them  that  did  not, 
under  the  circumstances,  prefer  splitting  wood  to  pound 
ing  samp,  for  the  samp-mortar  —  a  great  log  hollowed 
out  at  one  end,  with  a  huge  pestle,  like  a  bucket  on  a 
well-sweep,  hanging  over  it  —  was  generally  inside  the 
yard,  and  afforded  one  no  chance  for  sociability  with 
passers-by.  At  the  back  of  the  house  was  the  vegeta 
ble-garden,  and,  adjoining  it,  a  small  patch  of  tobacco 
for  home  consumption ;  for  the  forefathers,  as  a  rule, 
were  smokers,  and  in  every  chimney  there  was  a  little 
stock-hole  over  the  fireplace  for  the  master's  pipe. 

In  most  cases  the  house,  as  well  as  the  barn,  stood 
flush  with  the  street,  but  here  and  there  was  one  set 
far  enough  back  to  admit  of  a  small  porch,  with  a  space 
of  six  or  eight  feet  between  the  porch  and  the  gate ; 
and  now  and  then  there  was  one  that  bore  the  distinc 
tion  of  having  been  remodelled  from  the  original  prim 
pattern  into  something  more  in  keeping  with  the  times. 

To  the  latter  class  belonged  the  Thurston  homestead. 
It  was  a  cheerful  looking  house,  standing  somewhat 
apart  from  its  neighbors  at  the  upper  end  of  the  village, 


12  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

and,  as  the  glow  in  the  west  deepened,  its  gray  front 
took  on  a  warm  rich  pink,  and  the  diamond-shaped 
window-panes  in  their  leaded  sashes  blazed  as  if  illumi 
nated  for  a  victory. 

The  light  was  at  its  ruddiest  when  from  the  latticed 
porch  a  girl  darted  out  like  a  humming-bird,  and  flew 
down  the  narrow  walk  that,  between  low  hedges  of 
privet,  led  to  the  gate.  A  cloak  of  fine  red  cloth,  reach 
ing  almost  to  the  hem  of  her  gown,  served  to  emphasize 
the  height  of  the  slender  figure ;  and  the  quilted  hood, 
with  its  delicate  blue  lining,  framed  a  face  fair  enough 
to  be  that  of  "  the  daughter  of  a  hundred  earls." 
Though  the  day  had  been  spring-like,  with  the  going 
down  of  the  sun  the  air  had  become  quite  cold  enough 
to  make  a  thick  wrap  necessary ;  but  when  the  wind, 
sweeping  up  between  the  sand-dunes,  blew  back  the 
cloak,  it  showed  that  the  garment  was  worn  for  some 
thing  besides  the  warmth  it  gave.  The  wearer  pulled 
it  closer,  and  from  the  shadow  of  the  outer  hedge  peered 
cautiously  toward  the  house. 

Presently  an  old  man  in  Qjiaker  dress  came  out. 

"  Oh,  make  haste,  grandpa,"  urged  the  girl,  spring 
ing  from  her  covert  and  catching  his  hand  as  he  closed 
the  gate.  "  If  Aunt  Prudence  should  guess  what  we're 
up  to,  'twould  spoil  everything." 

"Thy  Aunt  Prudence  is  a  just  woman,  Margaret; 
she  would  not  take  that  which  is  not  hers,"  said  the 
old  man,  in  his  quiet  Quaker  voice,  at  the  same  time 
quickening  his  pace  to  keep  in  step  with  the  impatient 
young  feet. 


SWEETHEART.  13 

"But  she  is  a  Tory,  grandpa.  She  teaches  her 
parrot  to  cheer  for  King  George,  and  she  might  per 
haps  think  that  being  a  loyal  subject  she  had  the  better 
right  to  it." 

"  And  what  is  it,  pray,  that  a  loyal  subject  has  a 
better  right  to?"  asked  a  vigorous  voice  behind  them. 

The  girl  threw  a  swift  glance  over  her  shoulder. 

"  Lodowick  !  "  she  cried.  "Oh,  I'm  so  glad  it's  no 
one  but  you." 

"You  have  not  answered  my  question,  sweetheart," 
said  the  young  man,  looking  down  from  his  "  six  feet 
two  "  with  a  grave  smile  at  her  earnest  face. 

But  she  shook  her  head,  and,  holding  her  cloak  to 
gether  with  a  firmer  grip  against  the  unmannerly  wind, 
hurried  on  in  silence  until  they  reached  the  pond  at  the 
west  end  of  the  village,  a  narrow,  lagoon-like  bit  of 
water,  which  a  glittering  sand-bar  divided  from  the  sea. 
A  small  rowboat  was  drawn  up  on  the  shore,  and  the 
girl  stepped  hastily  in. 

"  Come,  grandpa,"  she  said,  quickly,  as  she  cast  off 
the  painter.  But  the  old  man  drew  back. 

"  Now  that  thou  hast  Lodowick  to  go  with  thee,  I  will 
wait  here."  And  he  seated  himself  composedly  on  a 
whitened  log  half  buried  in  the  sand  on  the  edge  of  the 
pond ;  the  log  at  one  end  was  split  wide  apart,  and  had 
so  close  a  resemblance  to  a  pair  of  huge  jaws,  that  it 
went  by  the  name  of  the  "Shark's  Head." 

A  sudden  gust  at  the  moment  whisked  open  the  girl's 
cloak,  and  revealed  a  small  chest  hugged  to  her  side. 

"What!    a  funeral?"   asked  Lodowick,    putting  the 


14  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE: 

oars  into  the  tholes.  "Which  is  it — Old  Poll  or  the 
white  kitten?" 

"Indeed,  Lodowick,  it  is  not  a  matter  for  jesting," 
she  answered,  with  so  much  seriousness  that  he  had  to 
smile  again.  "It's — oh,  make  haste!  Here  comes 
Aunt  Prudence." 

And  Lodowick  at  once  fell  lustily  to  rowing. 


A  FAIR    YOUNG   REBEL  I  5 


CHAPTER   II. 

A    FAIR    YOUNG    REBEL. 

A  ND  now,  sweetheart,"  said  the  young  man,  pulling 
-TTL  more  moderately  at  the  oars,  "since  Mistress 
Prudence  is  out  of  hearing,  and  can  neither  wade  nor 
swim  to  overtake  us,  pray  tell  what  all  this  is  about." 

"What,  haven't  you  heard,  Lodowick?  We  had  the 
news  to-day  in  a  letter  from  Grandmother  Neale,  who 
lives  in  Lynn.  But  it  was  weeks  on  the  way,  and  it 
vexes  me  that  we  didn't  know  it  sooner." 

"But  what  is  it  that  has  happened  in  Lynn?"  he 
asked,  beginning  to  suspect  what  the  news  might  be. 

"Oh,  it  was  in  Boston  that  it  happened;  but  the 
Lynn  people  are  all  in  sympathy  with  the  Bay  Colony. 
It  was  the  tea-tax  that  made  the  trouble.  Ah,  but  they 
were  brave !  Why,  they  wouldn't  let  the  ships  that 
brought  the  tea  come  into  the  harbor,  and  some  of  the 
men  went  on  board  and  broke  open  the  chests  and 
emptied  them  into  the  water.  I  wish  I  had  been  there 
to  help  them,  for  England  has  no  right  tax  us." 

"What  a  hot  little  rebel  it  is!"  laughed  Lodowick, 
with  the  oars  lying  idle  in  the  tholes. 

"  Yes,  I  am  a  rebel,  Lodowick,  and  I  am  not 
ashamed  to  own  it.  Grandpa  is  one,  too,  and  we  are 


1 6  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

not  going  to  use  any  more  tea  while  the  tax  is  on. 
Uncle  Erastus  sent  us  two  chests  last  summer,  that  is, 
he  sent  them  to  grandpa,  and  Aunt  Prudence  has  been 
using  it  whenever  we  had  company,  it  is  so  much  bet 
ter,  of  course,  than  sage  and  currant  leaves  ;  but  when 
this  news  came,  grandpa,  though  he  is  very  fond  of  a 
cup  of  good  tea,  said  he  would  drink  no  more  of  it,  so 
I  asked  him  to  let  me  follow  Boston's  example  and  throw 
it  overboard.  In  the  house  it  might,  perhaps,  have  been 
a  temptation,"  she  added,  with  a  fleeting  dimple. 

"And  did  your  Aunt  Prudence  know  what  you  were 
intending  to  do  with  it?"  asked  Lodowick,  wishing  that 
the  dimple  would  come  again. 

"Indeed  she  didn't.  But  she  may  have  missed  it  by 
this  time;  for  she  has  Miss  Mehitable  Hand  and  old 
Mrs.  Miller  spending  the  afternoon  with  her,  and  there 
isn't  a  teaspoonful  left  in  the  other  chest.  Hark  !  She 
is  calling  to  us.  O  Lodowick,  please  make  haste." 

At  that  Lodowick,  with  a  few  swift  strokes,  brought 
the  boat  well  up  on  the  sandy  bar,  and  as  the  girl,  spring 
ing  out,  ran  to  the  other  side  and  emptied  the  chest  into 
the  sea,  his  eyes  followed  her  with  grave  tenderness. 

"Sweetheart!  may  she  never  have  to  make  any 
weightier  sacrifice  for  her  country,"  he  sighed.  And 
when  she  came  back  he  helped  her  in  without  speaking, 
for  his  heart  was  heavy  with  forebodings.  But  she  did 
not  notice  his  silence. 

"There!  '  she  said,  putting  the  empty  box  into  the 
locker,  "if  Aunt  Prudence  wants  that  she  is  welcome 
to  it." 


A  FAIR    YOUNG  REBEL.  I/ 

Fortunately,  before  they  landed  Mistress  Prudence 
had  started  for  the  house ;  and  the  two  men,  in  no  haste 
to  overtake  her,  fell  to  discussing  the  recent  news,  with 
the  girl  in  her  red  cloak  walking  demurely  between 
them. 

"  It  was  a  brave  stand  for  Boston  to  take,"  said  Lo- 
dowick  Brewster,  who  had  heard  the  story  before  join 
ing  them,  "  and  every  right-minded  American  will 
approve  of  it.  The  whole  country  is  aroused,  and 
England  will  find  that  the  people  of  Boston  are  not  the 
only  rebels." 

"Rebels!"  repeated  the  old  man  slowly.  "The 
word  is  not  to  my  liking,  Lodowick.  England  is  our 
mother,  and  a  good  mother  in  most  ways." 

"  But  like  many  another  mother,  she  forgets  that  her 
children  have  any  rights  that  she  is  bound  to  respect," 
said  the  young  man.  "  She  reminds  me  of  my  sister 
Debby's  speckled  hen  ;  she  sets  all  her  brood  to  scratch 
ing,  and  the  minute  one  of  them  finds  a  fine  fat  worm, 
she  pounces  on  it  herself.  England  will  be  good  to  us 
so  long  as  we  acknowledge  her  sovereign  right  to  help 
herself  to  what  she  likes,  and  no  longer." 

"She  is  missing  her  opportunity,"  said  the  old  man, 
shaking  his  head.  "She  is  alienating  when  she  might 
conciliate,  and  it  grieves  me.  England  has  always  been 
dear  to  me.  It  was  my  mother's  birthplace,  and  when  a 
lad  I  was  sent  there  to  be  educated.  It  is  a  noble  land, 
Lodowick  ;  and  I  had  hoped  to  be  able  some  time  to  take 
Margaret  to  visit  the  ancient  manor  where  I  spent  my 
boyhood." 


1 8  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"But  I  shouldn't  care  to  go,  grandpa,  until  England 
learns  to  treat  us  with  proper  respect,"  said  Margaret 
quickly.  "Who  knows,"  and  a  dimple  came  and  went, 
"  but  she  might  put  a  tax  on  me  if  she  found  that  I  was 
a  foreign  production  ?  " 

"She  would  be  more  likely  to  appropriate  you,  I'm 
afraid,  if  you  wore  that  cloak,"  said  Lodowick,  with  a 
smile  in  his  gray  eyes.  "It  is  the  royal  color,  sweet 
heart." 

The  girl  whisked  off  the  cloak,  and  in  a  twinkle  it 
was  changed  from  brilliant  scarlet  to  hodden-gray. 

"Thou  art  but  a  turncoat  now,  child,"  said  her  grand 
father  grimly.  " 'Twere  better  to  be  an  honest  redcoat 
than  that." 

"  I  will  be  neither,"  answered  the  girl,  bridling.  "  I 
am  an  American,  and  I  am  going  to  be  true  to  my 
country." 

"That  is  well  said,  little  one.  In  times  like  these  it 
behooves  us  all  to  remember  that  we  are  Americans." 

"Aye,  and  to  rejoice  in  it,"  added  Brewster. 

Just  then  Ben  Thurston,  Margaret's  cousin,  hove  in 
sight.  lie  was  a  year  or  two  younger  than  Margaret, 
and  half  a  head  shorter,  with  a  mass  of  curly  red  hair 
flaming  above  his  freckled  face. 

"  Hurry  up,  Meg,"  he  called  ;  "  mother  wants  to  know 
where  the  tea-chest  is." 

"  In  the  locker  of  the  rowboat,"  promptly  answered 
Meg.  "  I  thought  it  might  serve  for  a  scoop." 

"But  where's  the  tea?  It's  the  tea  she  wants,  and  not 
the  chest." 


A  PAIR    YOUNG   REBEL.  19 

Margaret  hesitated  —  not  quite  sure  of  Ben's  loyalty. 

"It  has  gone  to  give  the  mermaids  a  tea-drinking, 
Ben,"  Brewster  volunteered. 

"  Say,  rather,  we  have  sent  it  back  to  England, 
Loclowick,"  protested  the  girl,  her  brown  eyes  flashing. 

"  Whew  !  "  whistled  Ben.  "  But  won't  you  catch  it, 
Meg  !  Glad  I  didn't  have  a  hand  in  it." 

"And  thou  needst  have  nothing  to  do  about  it  now, 
Benjamin,"  said  her  grandfather.  "Margaret  had  per 
mission  to  do  it,  and  I  will  explain  it  to  her  aunt." 

The  young  fellow  thanked  him  heartily.  "  It'll  save 
me  from  hearing  Meg  scolded,"  he  said.  "  But  what  a 
waste,  Meg,"  he  added,  putting  himself  in  step  with  the 
girl,  who  had  fallen  a  little  behind  the  others.  "  It  was 
prime  tea  ;  and  as  long  as  it  was  a  present,  who  cares  for 
the  tax?" 

"If  you  had  a  grain  of  patriotism,  Ben,  you  wouldn't 
ask  that.  Every  true  American  cares,  no  matter  whether 
he  himself  has  to  pay  the  tax  or  somebody  else  ;  for  in 
putting  a  tax  on  the  tea,  the  English  mean  us  to  under 
stand  that  they  have  a  right  to  tax  whatever  they 
please." 

"  Ma,  Meg,  if  you  were  a  man  the  colonies'd  be  send 
ing  you  to  Congress.  But  you'd  better  look  out,  talking 
that  way,  or  you'll  be  taken  for  a  rebel.  Say,  what  you 
got  your  cloak  on  wrong  side  out  for?  " 

"Because  it's  the  enemy's  color,"  answered  the  girl, 
her  eyes  flashing  again;  "and  if  being  loyal  to  my 
native  lan^l  makes  me  a  rebel,  that's  what  I  am,  and, 
I'm  not  ashamed  to  own  it,  Ben." 


20  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Ben's  only  response  to  this  was  another  whistle. 

But,  though  brave  enough  to  defy  King  George  and 
his  troops,  the  girl,  on  reaching  the  house,  had  hardly 
the  courage  to  face  her  Aunt  Prudence  ;  and  leaving  her 
grandfather  to  make  peace  with  the  offended  powers, 
she  fled  up  to  her  room. 

"  If  grandpa  shoulders  the  responsibility,  it  will  be 
all  right,"  she  said  to  herself;  "  but  I'm  glad  the  tea  is 
where  it  is,  even  if  I  have  to  be  taken  to  task." 

She  had  unfastened  her  cloak  ;  and  as  it  slipped  to  the 
floor,  she  caught  it  up  with  a  quick-drawn  sigh. 

"  It's  a  pity,"  she  said,  smoothing  it  down  with  a  slim 
brown  hand;  "but  I'm  not  going  to  give  grandpa,  nor 
any  one  else,  another  chance  to  call  me  a  turncoat.'1 
And  snatching  a  pair  of  scissors  from  the  little  dressing- 
table,  she  began  ripping  the  cloak  apart. 

"  There,  redcoat,"  she  apostrophized,  holding  at  arm's 
length  the  soft  bright  fabric  that  had  given  the  cloak 
its  beauty,  "to-morrow  you  go  into  the  dye-pot.  Oh, 
but  it  is  a  pity,"  she  went  on,  her  eyes  suddenly  tilling 
with  tears,  "you  were  so  pretty,  so  warm  and  cheerful 
looking,  and  Lodowick  always  liked  you  in  spite  of  his 
teasing.  But  it  can't  be  helped.  An  American  has  no 
right  to  wear  the  enemy's  colors." 

As  she  folded  the  cloth  a  muffled  voice  came  up  the 
stairway. 

"  Meg  !  come  down.  Supper's  all  ready,  and  no  signs 
of  a  tempest.  Grandpa's  poured  oil  on  the  waters,  and 
we're  going  to  have  currant  tea." 

The  girl  hastily  smoothed  her  hair. 


A  FAIR    YOUNG  REBEL.  21 

"Are  you  sure  Aunt  Prudence  isn't  angry,  Ben?" 
she  asked  in  a  whisper. 

"Not  enough  to  mind.  To  be  sure,  it  was  a  great 
waste ;  but  if  grandpa  wanted  to  dispose  of  it  in  that 
way,  nobody's  any  right  to  find  fault." 

The  company,  Miss  Mehitable  Hand  and  old  Mrs. 
Miller,  were  already  seated  at  the  table  when  Margaret 
entered,  and  no  comment  was  made  on  her  tardiness ; 
even  though  she  caught  a  threatening  glint  from  her 
aunt's  black  eyes,  she  knew  that,  for  the  present,  there 
was  nothing  to  fear.  Prudence,  who  was  a  famous 
cook,  felt  a  housewife's  pride  in  serving  her  guests ; 
and  after  that  one  withering  glance  she  left  Margaret 
to  herself.  And  Margaret  was  very  glad,  for  her  walk 
had  sharpened  her  appetite.  A  generous  dish  of  ham 
and  eggs,  samp  porridge  steaming  hot  from  the  great 
kettle  on  the  crane,  brown  bread  and  buttermilk  bis 
cuits,  with  beach-plum  sauce,  doughnuts  and  pumpkin 
cake,  composed  the  bill  of  fare  ;  and  though  the  cur 
rant-leaf  tea  lacked  the  fine  flavor  of  hyson,  it  seemed 
none  the  less  potent  to  set  tongues  agoing. 

The  visitors  had  not  yet  heard  the  latest  news  from 
the  Bay  Colony  ;  and  Margaret,  though  longing  to  en 
lighten  them,  held  her  peace,  feeling  that  just  then  it 
was  not  a  safe  subject  to  broach.  But  she  had  dutifully 
read  her  grandmother's  letter  to  her  Aunt  Prudence ; 
and  the  latter,  who  before  supper  had  been  too  intent 
on  preparing  the  feast  to  take  time  to  chat  with  her 
guests,  had  scarcely  finished  pouring  the  non-imported 
beverage  when  she  began  to  rehearse  the  story. 


22  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Mother  Miller  and  Miss  Mehitable  listened  with  star 
tled  faces. 

"Yes,  and  there  arc  people  who  see  lit  to  call  it  a 
brave  deed,"  Mistress  Prudence  continued;  "but  I  call 
it  not  only  a  reckless  defiance  of  those  in  authority,  but 
a  downright  insult  to  our  good  King  George  III.  ;  and  if 
trouble  comes  of  it,  Boston  will  have  nobody  but  herself 
to  thank.  And  to  think  of  all  that  choice  tea  wasted  I 
Over  three  hundred  chests  !  If  they  didn't  want  it  in 
Boston,  why  didn't  they  let  it  be  taken  somewhere  else? 
To  New  York?  or  to  Philadelphia?  Either  one  of  them, 
I  imagine,  would  have  been  glad  to  have  it." 

"Nay,  Prudence ;  .thou  art  wrong  there,"  said  her 
father-in-law.  "New  York  and  Philadelphia  are  not 
less  brave  than  Boston ;  for,  without  waiting  for  Boston 
to  set  them  the  example,  they  passed  resolutions  to  send 
the  tea-ships  back  to  London  with  their  cargoes." 

"Well,  they'll  repent  it,  mark  my  word.  The  Brit 
ish  government  isn't  going  to  let  an  insult  like  that  pass 
unnoticed." 

"  Well,  I  don'  know,  Prudence,"  ventured  Miss  Hitty, 
"seems  to  me  what  St.  Paul  says  to  the  fathers  about 
provoking  their  children  to  wrath  is  good  advice  for  the 
mothers  too.  Mother  England  hasn't  been  over  careful 
about  provoking  the  colonies." 

"That  is  true,  Mehitable,"  said  the  old  Quaker; 
"  and  this  tax  on  tea  is  the  crowning  provocation.  Still, 
the  intent  was,  evidently,  to  pacify  rather  than  provoke  ; 
and  I  doubt  not  that  when  she  finds  on  what  ground  the 
people  are  so  strenuously  opposed  to  it,  she  will  repeal  it." 


A   t-^JR    YOUNG  REBEL.  23 

"And  until  she  does,  I  think  we  shall  be  quite  content 
to  drink  our  native  tea,  especially  when  it  is  as  good  as 
this,  Prudence,"  said  Mrs.  Miller,  with  a  smile.  "If 
you  please,"  she  added,  passing  her  cup. 

"Now,  Phebe  Miller,  you  needn't  pretend  that  you 
like  it,''  protested  Prudence.  "It  is  nothing  but  a  make- 
believe  at  best,  and  it's  a  shame  that  we  have  to  offer 
the  vile  stuff  to  our  friends.  If  any  of  the  genuine 
article  could  be  had  for  love  or  money  this  side  of  the 
£>ound,  I'd  have  it,  I  can  tell  you,  tax  or  no  tax."  And 
the  black  eyes  shot  another  baleful  glance  at  Mar» 
garet. 

But  the  girl  was  listening  to  her  grandfather. 

"It  were  better  to  give  a  friend  a  cup  of  cold  water 
only  than  to  lay  a  tax  on  his  conscience,"  he  was  say 
ing  ;  "  and  we  must  remember  that  those  who  made  this 
sacrifice,  and  put  the  luxury  beyond  our  reach,  have 
done  it  because  they  believed  it  right." 

Madge  beamed  on  him  gratefully,  well  knowing  that 
this  gentle  defence  was  not  meant  solely  for  the  good 
people  of  Boston. 

"Margaret,  hand  the  doughnuts,"  said  her  aunt  stiffly. 

"Your  doughnuts,  Prudence,  go  ahead  of  mine," 
said  Miss  Hitty,  breaking  open  one  of  the  puffy  balls 
with  the  feeling  that  she  was  on  safer  ground. 

"  They  go  ahead  of  every  one's,  I  think,"  said  Mar 
garet  honestly.  "Just  try  one,  Mrs.  Miller." 

"  Oh,  I  know  them  of  old,"  responded  Mother  Miller. 
"  Prudence  is  a  rare  hand  at  compounding  good  things." 
And  having  edged  away  from  the  danger  line,  every 


24  AN  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

one  took  good  care  during  the  remainder  of  the  meal 
to  keep  clear  of  it. 

They  had  but  just  risen  from  the  table  when  Ben, 
coming  in  from  the  porch,  remarked  that  it  was  begin 
ning  to  rain. 

"  Then  we'd  better  be  going,"  said  Mrs.  Miller,"  who 
had  been  asking  Prudence  for  her  recipe  for  pumpkin 
cake;  "  it  won't  do  for  my  old  bones  to  be  out  in  the 
wet." 

"It's  too  bad  for  you  to  have  to  hurry  off  so,"  said 
the  hostess,  leading  the  way  to  the  parlor,  where,  on  the 
plump  feather-bed,  with  its  gay  counterpane,  the  visitors' 
hoods  and  cloaks  had  been  deposited;  "but  there's  no 
telling  how  long  it's  going  to  last."  And  while  helping 
them  with  their  wraps,  she  went  on  with  her  directions. 

"It's  easy  enough  to  make,  if  one  only  has  the  ne 
cessary  ingregients  ;  but  sugar  and  spices  are  getting  so 
skerce  that  it's  a  hard  matter  to  go  by  rule.  I  couldn't 
get  even  a  stick  of  cinnamon  yesterday  at  Conklin's,  and 
I  dare  say  things'll  be  skercer  now  than  ever." 

"  Oh  !  I  hope  not,"  said  Mrs.  Miller.  "  This  trouble 
isn't  likely  to  be  lasting." 

Prudence  pursed  up  her  lips,  and  turned  her  attention 
to  Miss  Mehitable. 

When  the  guests  were  ready  to  start,  Margaret  led 
the  way  to  the  entry  with  a  light,  —  a  "tallow  dip"  in 
a  shining  brass  candlestick  ;  but  the  instant  the  door 
was  opened  the  wind  blew  it  out. 

"It's  dark  as  a  wolf's  den,"  said  Ben,  standing  on 
tiptoe  to  peer  over  Meg's  shoulder. 


A   FAIR    YOUNG   REBEL.  2$ 

"  It  is  dark,"  said  Miss  Hitty,  drawing  back. 

"  So  it  is,"  echoed  Prudence.  "  Benjamin,  go  bring 
the  lantern. 

"Just  my  luck!"  muttered  Ben.  "Always  getting 
myself  into  trouble  !  " 

"No  matter,  I'll  go  with  you,"  said  Margaret.  She 
knew  that  Ben  would  be  glad  of  her  company  ;  and  she 
dreaded  being  left  alone  with  her  aunt,  her  grandfather 
having  gone  to  his  room.  But  Prudence  had  followed 
them  to  the  kitchen. 

'"There  is  no  need  of  your  going,  Margaret,"  she 
said  shortly.  "It  doesn't  take  two  to  carry  a  lantern. 
Be  sure  to  put  on  the  cloak,  Benjamin." 

Ben  was  too  wise  to  waste  words  ;  and  taking  down 
from  behind  the  door  a  rusty  army  cloak,  which,  though 
belonging  to  his  Uncle  Aaron,  had  been  for  many  a 
year  at  the  service  of  any  of  the  family  who  chanced  to 
need  it,  he  picked  up  the  lantern,  and  hurried  to  the 
porch. 

Outside  the  sky  seemed  to  be  clearing  ;  but  within, 
hardly  had  the  door  closed  behind  the  visitors  when  the 
storm  burst  forth. 

"As  if  there  was  nothing  better  to  be  done  with  a 
chest  of  tea  like  that  than  to  empty  it  into  the  sea  !  It's 
the  wastefulness  of  it  that  angers  me.  If  there  had  been 
anything  to  warrant  it,  if  the  house  had  had  to  be 
searched,  or  anything  of  that  sort,  there  might  have 
been  some  excuse  for  it." 

"The  tea  was  grandpa's,  Aunt  Prudence;  and  he 
gave  me  leave  to  do  it." 


26  /IN    ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"Yes,  and  why?  Because  you  can  wheedle  him  into 
giving  you  his  head,  if  you  choose  to.  Your  grand 
father  and  Lodowick  Brewster  between  them  are  doing 
their  best  to  spoil  you." 

"Prudence,  thou  art  overstepping  the  requirements 
;of  the  occasion,"  interposed  the  old  Quaker,  appearing 
at  the  door  in  his  double-gown.  "  The  child  has  done 
no  wrong.  When  a  principle  is  at  stake  we  can  afford 
to  make  sacrifices,  especially  when  we  have  so  brave  an 
example  as  that  set  us  by  the  people  of  Boston." 

"And  what  good,  pray,  will  your  wasted  tea  do  the 
Boston  folks?"  asked  Prudence  sharply;  "or  any  one 
else,  as  for  that?  " 

Ben's  entrance,  with  the  announcement  that  it  was 
raining  "  cats  and  dogs,"  made  an  answer  unnecessary, 
for  his  dripping  clothes  threatened  dis.aster  to  the  neatly 
sanded  floor ;  and  as  his  mother  marched  him  into  the 
woodshed,  Margaret  nestled  to  her  grandfather,  and 
rubbed  her  face  against  his  arm  like  a  grateful  kitten. 

"Poor  little  Margaret,"  he  said,  with  his  hand  on  the 
curly  head.  "She  has  begun  early  to  suffer  for  her 
country.  But  there  are  wrorse  things  one  might  have  to 
endure  than  the  railings  of  an  angry  tongue." 


PRO  P ATRIA.  27 


CHAPTER   III. 

PRO    PATRIA. 

J^ORTUNATELY  for  Margaret's  plans,  her  Aunt 
J-  Prudence  the  next  day  had  occasion  to  go  to 
Sagabonack  to  see  her  sister. 

"Wot  yo's  up  to  now,  Miss  Marge?"  questioned 
Hagar,  when  Margaret  asked  her  to  put  on  the  dye- 
kettle.  "  Dis  yere  ain't  no  day  fo'  dyein'  ;  dis  sam' 
pawidge  an'  bakin'  day." 

"Yes,  I  know  it,  Hagar;  but  it  won't  take  long.  It's 
only  two  or  three  yards  of  cloth  that  I  want  to  dip." 

"  Git  along  den,  honey,  an'  soon's  I's  got  de  pawk  in 
dat  pawidge  I'll  put  yo'  dye-kittle  on." 

Half  an  hour  later  a  small  African  appeared  at  the 
keeping-room  door. 

"  Mammy  say  s'e  weddy  to  dye  now,  my  dirl,"  piped 
the  plaintive  little  voice. 

"Tell  her  I'm  coming,  Rick."  And  hurrying  to  the 
kitchen,  Margaret  improved  the  chance  to  plunge  the 
cloth  into  the  kettle  while  Hagar's  back  was  turned. 
But  before  the  color  had  time  to  change  Ilagar  came  to 
help  her. 

"  Fo'  de  Ian'  sake,  chile,  wot  fo'  yo'  want  'o  do  dat?  " 
cried  the  woman.  "  Yo'  beau'ful  red  cloak  !  " 


28  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  It  was  too  red,  Hagar ;  that  was  the  trouble.  Black 
will  be  much  better.  My  grandmother  Neale  gave  it  to 
me,  and  I  have  a  right  to  do  as  I  please  with  it.  But 
I'd  rather  not  have  any  one  else  know  about  it  till  it  is 
put  together  again,  so  I'm  going  to  let  you  wring  it  for 
me,  as  I  don't  want  to  stain  my  hands." 

"  G'  'way,  chile!  My  ol'  hands  won't  tell  no  tales. 
Can't  make  'em  no  blacker'n  dey  is.  I'll  hang  Mm  up 
fo'  yo',  and  der  won't  nobody  s'pec'  dat  ol'  black  rag  o' 
bein'  yo'  lubly  red  cloak.  But  I  pities  yo',  honey,  cle 
fus'  day  yo'  'pears  out  in  it,  I  does." 

The  first  time  Margaret  appeared  out  in  it  was  the 
following  Sunday.  She  had  told  her  grandfather  about 
it  the  evening  before ;  and  when  she  came  down  the 
stairs,  looking  like  a  young  nun  in  the  plain  black 
mantle,  he  made  no  comment. 

It  was  chiefly  her  aunt's  disapproval  that  she  dreaded  ; 
but  Prudence,  who  had  always  thought  the  cloak  much 
too  giddy  for  a  daughter  of  the  Puritans  and  Quakers, 
simply  remarked,  with  a  little  sniff  for  preface,  that  it 
would  have  been  an  improvement  if,  while  she  was 
about  it,  she  had  given  it  another  dip. 

"Pshaw,  Meg,"  growled  Ben,  who  was  carrying  his 
mother's  foot-stove  and  hymn-book,  "  what'd  you  want 
to  go  and  spoil  it  for?  'Twas  such  a  beauty  !  " 

But  Margaret  slipped  past  him  without  answering. 
She  was  glad,  however,  when  they  went  into  the  meet 
ing-house,  to  walk  behind  her  aunt  ;•  for  she  felt  that 
every  one  was  staring  at  her,  and  wondering  why  she 
had  gone  into  mourning.  There,  facing  the  congrega- 


PRO  P ATRIA.  29 

tion,  were  the  church  officers,  seated  in  solemn  dignity 
in  the  deacons'  pew  under  the  pulpit,  and  in  front  of 
them  the  village  magistrates,  all  eying  her,  apparently, 
with  official  sternness.  Even  Priest  Buell,  whose  ge 
nial  smile  was  always  like  a  benediction  to  his  people, 
seemed  to  frown  down  on  her  from  beneath  the  ponder 
ous  sounding-board,  —  it  did  not  occur  to  her  that  he 
might  be  frowing  over  the  tea-tax,  —  and  she  shrunk 
£>ack  as  far  as  possible  in  the  corner  of  the  square,  high- 
sided  pew.  But  after  sermon  began  she  was  no  longer 
conscious  of  her  cloak  ;  for  Priest  Buell  had  the  faculty 
of  making  his  hearers  forget  themselves  and  their  be 
longings,  —  even  when,  as  sometimes  happened,  the 
sermon  was  so  long  that  he  had  to  turn  for  the  second 
time  the  hour-glass  that  he  always  kept  beside  the  Bible 
on  the  pulpit  desk. 

On  the  way  home,  having  lingered  to  speak  to  her 
cousin,  Betty  Osgood,  she  was  overtaken  by  Lodowick 
Brewster. 

"It's  Marjory,  is  it?  "he  exclaimed.  "I  thought  I 
knew  the  hood ;  but  the  cloak  !  Why,  what  have  you 
been  doing  with  it,  pray?" 

"I've  been  —  dyeing  for  my  country,  Lodowick," 
said  the  girl  demurely.  A  flash  of  mirth  from  his  kind 
gray  eyes  responded  to  the  jest,  but  when  he  spoke  his 
face  grew  grave. 

"  It  is  a  good  cause  to  dye  in,  sweetheart.  God  grant 
we  may  never  have  to  die  for  it  in  any  other  way." 

"  How  seriously  you  take  it,  Lodowick  !  As  if  there 
could  be  any  danger  of  that  sort  in  this  far-off  corner  of 


30  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

the  world  !  In  Boston,  now,  one  might  stand  a  chance 
of  dying  for  it  in  earnest." 

"  It  is  all  one.  If  Boston  is  forced  to  take  up  arms, 
the  whole  country  must  bleed." 

"  Have  they  any  later  tidings,  Lodowick?  "  asked  the 
old  Quaker,  turning  back  to  join  them. 

"None  save  the  rumor  that  England  threatens  to 
adopt  still  harsher  measures,  and  that  the  New  England 
colonies  are  preparing  to  resist  them." 

The  old  man  shook  his  head. 

"  It  will  be  resistance  unto  blood,  I  fear,  Lodowick. 
Would  God  there  were  one  with  the  spirit  and  power  of 
George  Fox,  to  go  through  the  land  as  he  himself  went 
in  my  grandfather's  time,  teaching  men  to  heed  the 
Voice  within.  Then  would  they  take  the  '  kingdom 
with  entreaty  and  not  with  contention. ": 

"  But  when  the  kingdom  is  of  this  world,  Friend 
Thurston,  and  not  easy  to  be  entreated,  as  the  colonies 
have  learned  to  their  cost,  contention  is  inevitable,''  an 
swered  the  young  man.  "But  doubtless  England  now 
will  see  her  error,  and  set  herself  to  right  our  griev 
ances,  in  which  case  she  will  find  us  very  willing  to  be 
again  her  dutiful  subjects.  Eh,  Margaret?" 

"  Not  unless  she  removes  the  tax,"  said  Margaret 
stoutly. 

"What,  grumbling  still  about  that  paltry  tax?"  Pru 
dence  snapped,  who  had  waited  for  them  to  overtake 
her.  "  One  would  think  that  on  Lord's  Day,  at  least, 
people  might  find  something  more  edifying  to  discuss." 

"  Nay,  Prudence,  thou  dost  underrate  it.     It  is  a  vital 


PRO  P ATRIA.  31 

question,  and  one  which,  if  it  be  not  rightly  disposed  of, 
is  likely  to  prove  the  ruin  of  the  colonies." 

"  The  only  way  to  dispose  of  it  is  to  pay  it,  and  make 
no  more  ado  about  it,"  insisted  Prudence.  "It  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at  that  England's  patience  is  exhausted. 
The  colonies  have  no  more  reverence  for  a  crowned 
head  than  for  a  sooty  chimney-sweep,  and  sooner  or 
later  it'll  be  their  ruin." 

"  I'm  afraid,"  said  Margaret,  in  a  troubled  undertone 
to  Brewster,  "  that  Aunt  Prudence  is  turning  Tory.  Of 
course  it  isn't  strange,  her  second  husband  having  been 
an  Englishman  ;  but  it's  going  to  make  it  rather  uncom 
fortable  for — the  rebels." 

"And  for  one  little  rebel  in  particular,  I  fear,"  said 
Lodowick.  "If  things  go  on  as  they  are  going  at 
present,  apparently,  there  will  be  many  a  house  divided 
against  itself  ;  and  it  grieves  me  to  think  of  it,  sweetheart, 
for  there  will  be  wounds  made  that  can  never  be  healed." 

"  Oh  !  it  may  never  come  to  that,"  said  the  girl  hope 
fully.  "  Perhaps  when  father  and  Uncle  John  come 
home  from  Hartford  they  will  bring  us  better  tidings." 

At  the  gate  Colonel  Gardiner  and  Squire  Chatfield 
joined  them.  The  colonel  was  a  government  officer. 
lie  was  a  man  of  goodly  parts  ;  and  in  his  blue  coat  and 
buff  vest,  his  brass  buttons  and  shining  knee-buckles, 
he  made  an  imposing  appearance,  especially  when  in 
the  saddle  on  general  training-day.  The  squire  was  a 
justice  of  the  peace.  Both  were  near  neighbors  ;  and 
without  waiting  for  the  formality  of  an  invitation,  they 
went  in  with  them  and  drew  up  to  the  fire.  But  instead 


32  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

of  the  usual  exchange  of  comments  on  the  sermon  and 
the  weather,  there  was  an  anxious  venting  of  opinions 
concerning  the  danger  that  threatened  the  colonies. 

"  I  was  at  Huntting's  last  night  when  the  mail  came 
in,"  remarked  the  colonel;  "  and  Joshua  says  that  New 
York  is  in  a  ferment  over  the  tea-tax  and  the  threatened 
annihilation  of  Massachusetts'  charter.  And  Nathaniel 
writes  that  it  is  the  same  in  Philadelphia.  What  the 
outcome  will  be  it  is  not  easy  to  predict." 

"It  is  all  due  to  Lord  North's  obstinacy  in  regard  to 
maintaining  the  Parliamentary  right  of  taxation,"  an 
swered  Squire  Chatfield  hotly.  "  For  three  years  the 
colonies  have  been  in  a  state  of  open  protest;  and  Eng 
land  was  blinder  than  a  bat  not  to  see  that,  in  trying  to 
force  the  tea  on  them,  she  was  throwing  a  firebrand  into 
a  magazine." 

"And  still,"  said  the  colonel  slowly,  as  if  weighing 
his  words,  "she  made  the  tax  so  light  that  the  colonies, 
having  no  duty  to  pay  on  the  other  side,  would  really 
be  getting  the  tea  for  ninepence  a  pound  less  than  be 
fore." 

"Aye,  and  'twas  a  tempting  bait,"  replied  the  squire, 
"but  happily  the  colonies  were  shrewd  enough  to  de 
tect  the  deadly  hook  behind  it ;  and  if  England  hopes  to 
win  them  back,  she  will  have  to  change  her  tactics." 

"  God  grant  she  may  do  it  speedily,  then,"  said  the 
old  Quaker,  "  before  it  comes  to  the  shedding  of  blood." 

"We  can  all  say  'amen'  to  that,  Friend  Thurston," 
answered  the  squire.  "  None  of  the  colonies,  you  may 
be  sure,  want  to  see  it  reach  that  pass.  Only  let  Eng- 


PRO  P ATRIA.  33 

land  prove  that  she  means  to  deal  fairly  with  them,  and 

they  will  gladly  return  to  their  allegiance." 

And  so  the  talk  went  on  until  Prudence  bustled  in,  and 
asked  them  out  to  dinner. 

"Yes,  yes,  friends,  walk  out,"  said  the  old  Quaker, 
as  the  guests  pushed  back  from  the  hearth.  But  re 
membering  that  their  own  dinners  were  waiting  for 
them,  the  squire  and  the  colonel  bowed  their  thanks 
with  the  courtly  old  school  courtesy,  and  hurried  away. 
And  Brewster,  after  lingering  to  give  Margaret  a  mes 
sage  from  his  sister  Frances,  followed  their  example. 


34  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

AN    ABSORBING    TOPIC. 

IT  would  be  hard  to  find  anywhere  in  America  a  place 
more  quaint  and  primitive  than  the  little  village  at 
the  east  end  of  Long  Island  known  as  Easthampton. 
It  was  quaint  and  primitive,  and,  in  a  way,  venerable, 
more  than  a  hundred  years  ago,  being  a  century  and  a 
quarter  old  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution  ;  and  time 
has  only  made  these  ancient  characteristics  the  more  pro 
nounced. 

In  June,  1640,  a  little  company  of  pioneers,  mostly 
from  Lynn,  Mass.,  came  sailing  up  the  peaceful  Pe- 
conic ;  and  having  landed  on  Long  Island,  at  a  spot 
now  known  as  North  Sea,  they  pushed  through  the  wil 
derness,  with  their  wives  and  children,  to  the  south  side 
of  the  Island,  and  laid  out  a  village  which  they  named 
after  old  Southampton  in  England. 

It  was  nearly  a  decade  later  that  a  second  company 
crossed  the  Sound,  and  with  the  addition  of  some  who 
had  previously  settled  in  Southampton,  founded  East 
hampton.  Many  of  the  latter  colony  hailed  originally 
from  Maidstone,  England ;  and  it  was  by  this  name,  so 
closely  associated  with  memories  of  the  old  home,  that 
Easthampton  was  first  christened.  In  fact,  nearly  all 


AN  ABSORBING    TOPIC.  35 

the  early  settlers  of  Long  Island  were  English,  and  for 
many  a  day  scarcely  a  family  of  any  other  nationality 
was  to  be  found  among  them. 

Brave,  upright,  and  chivalrous  were  these  "rude  fore 
fathers  of  the  hamlet,"  their  rudeness  being  only  such  as 
came  from  their  environments,  together  with  the  hard 
ships  and  deprivations  inseparable  from  a  pioneer  life ; 
for  many  of  them  were  descended  from  families  that  in 
England  still  bear  their  ancient  coats-of-arms. 

43ut  English  though  they  were,  and  conscientiously 
loyal  to  the  mother  land,  they  were  also  Puritans  of  the 
Puritans ;  and  New  England  was  their  foster-mother. 
She  had  nurtured  and  trained  them  ;  and  they  had  fol 
lowed  faithfully  in  her  footsteps,  even  to  the  embracing 
of  the  witchcraft  delusion,  —  though,  happily,  with  them 
the  delusion  was  of  short  duration,  and  resulted  in  no 
bloodshed,  —  and  whatever  touched  her  touched  them. 

No  matter  where  men  changed  to  meet,  the  talk  turned 
always  on  the  one  absorbing  theme  ;  and  when  John 
Thurston  and  Aaron  Neale,  coming  back  from  Hart 
ford,  brought  full  particulars  of  the  punishment  decreed 
against  Boston  by  the  British  government,  there  was  a 
general  outburst  of  indignation. 

"If  Mother  England  is  going  to  inflict  such  unmer 
ited  chastisement  on  one  of  us,  she  will  have  the  whole 
family  arrayed  against  her,"  said  Captain  Dayton,  as 
he  joined  the  group  that  had  gathered  round  the  hearth 
at  Huntting's  Inn.  The  captain  was  a  farmer;  but  he 
had  the  look  of  one  born  to  command,  and  his  opinions 
always  carried  weight  with  his  neighbors.  The  inn  was 


36  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

a  favorite  meeting-place  for  the  men  of  the  village.  It 
was  here,  in  a  blue  haze  of  tobacco-smoke,  that  they 
were  wont  on  winter  nights  to  joke  and  jest,  and  spin 
no  end  of  yarns  ;  but  there  was  no  room  now  for  any 
thing  but  grave  discussion. 

"Come  what  may,"  Dayton  went  on,  "the  colonies 
are  bound  to  stand  by  each  other." 

"That's  so,"  said  Dan  Conklin,  the  village  store 
keeper. 

"  Aye,  and  New  York  will  prove  herself  not  one  whit 
behind  Boston  in  patriotism,"  answered  Burnet  Miller, 
the  town  clerk.  "  None  of  the  colonies  showed  a  braver 
front  when  they  tried  the  Stamp  Act  on  us  ;  and  look 
hpw  she  seized  the  tea  brought  on  the  London,  and 
tossed  it  overboard.  Boston  will  find  her  a  faithful 
ally." 

"  It's  the  Stamp  Act  that's  at  the  root  of  it  all,"  said 
Ezekiel  Mulford,  taking  up  the  bellows,  and  blowing 
the  smouldering  fire  into  a  blaze.  "  It  took  neither  a 
prophet  nor  the  son  of  a  prophet  to  see  what  it  would 
lead  to." 

"  But  the  Act  was  repealed  as  soon  as  England  found 
how  the  colonies  felt  about  it,"  argued  Zebulon  Howell, 
who  had  ridden  over  from  Southampton  for  the  purpose 
of  urging  his  friends  not  to  be  over-hastv. 

"Repealed!  Yes,  the  next  year;  but  what  did  it 
amount  to,  so  long  as  she  still  claimed  the  right  to  make 
our  laws  and  statutes  for  us?"  scoffed  Mulford.  "  That 
was  eight  years  ago,  and  Parliament  to-day  is  as  im 
movable  in  its  assertion  of  supremacy  as  it  was  then." 


/IN  ABSORBING    TOPIC.  37 

"And  likely  to  stay  so  for  another  eight  years,"  mut 
tered  Olin  Dole,  a  young  man  to  whom  a  club-foot  had 
given  a  somewhat  pessimistic  turn.  "  Might  as  well 
make  slaves  of  us,  an'  done  with  it." 

"  Oh,  come  !  come  !  "  cried  Silas  Post,  giving  Olin  a 
friendly  punch.  "  Don't  be  findin'  fault  with  your  poor 
old  mother.  Prob'ly  she  thinks  she's  doin'  it  all  for  the 
best.  '  Spare  the  rod  an'  spoil  the  child,'  you  know." 

"It's  a  heartless  mother,  Sile,  that  governs  with  the 
roct  alone,"  said  Squire  Osborn,  as  he  shook  the  ashes 
from  his  pipe.  "  If  she  wants  us  to  be  dutiful  children, 
let  her  give  us  some  proof  that  she  loves  us." 

"If  she'd  use  the  rod  only  when  we  deserve  it,  we 
shouldn't  complain,"  said  Nat  Dominy,  the  clockmaker. 
"But,  guilty  or  innocent,  we  are  allowed  no  chance  to 
plead  for  ourselves  ;  and  it's  unconstitutional.  From  the 
very  first  the  action  of  Parliament  in  regard  to  duties 
has  been  unconstitutional.  James  Otis  made  that  plain 
as  long  ago  as  '61." 

"Aye,  he  did  that,"  said  a  rough-bearded  seaman. 
"I  was  in  Bos'on  at  the  time,  and  I  tell  you  his  speech 
was  right  to  the  point.  What  we  want  is  representation." 

"  That's  just  it,  Cap'n  Foster,"  answered  David 
Fithian.  "  We  want  only  what  the  English  themselves 
were  contending  for  when  they  compelled  King  John  to 
sign  the  charter  at  Runnymede  ;  and  when  Goffe  and 
Whalley,  and  my  great-grandsire,  William  Fithian,1  sane- 

1  According  to  a  tradition  in  the  Fithian  family,  William  Fithian  was  proscribed 
as  a  regicide  for  being  present  at  the  execution  of  Charles  I.,  and  the  last  years  of 
his  life  were  spent  in  Easthampton. 


38  ^N   ISLAND  HEROINE. 

tioned  the  death-warrant  of  Charles  L,  and  suffered  exile 
for  it.  When  England  will  consent  to  our  being  repre 
sented  in  Parliament  we  sha'n't  object  to  a  reasonable 
tax." 

"Until  she  does  consent  to  it,  she  may  as  well  keep 
her  tax-gatherers  at  home,"  said  John  Thurston.  "The 
colonies  are  a  unit  on  that  point." 

As  the  weeks  went  by  the  excitement  deepened,  and 
the  day  that  saw  the  Port  Bill  put  into  force  the  people 
united  fervently  in  the  prayer  and  fasting  that  had  been 
enjoined  on  the  colonies. 


THE  MEADOWS.  39 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE    MEADOWS. 

EG!  Ho,  Meg!  Where  are  you?"  shouted 
Ben,  one  morning,  pulling  up  at  the  gate  in 
the  farm-wagon.  "We're  going  down  to  the  Mead 
ows,  Lod  Brewster  and  I,  to  take  a  look  at  the  stock; 
and  you  can  go  along  if  you  want  to." 

Margaret,  who  was  working  in  her  flower-beds,  did 
not  wait  for  this  gracious  permission  to  be  repeated. 

"They  are  going  to  the  Meadows,  Aunt  Prudence," 
she  announced  eagerly,  appearing  in  the  kitchen,  where 
her  aunt  was  helping  Hagar  with  the  ironing;  "and 
Ben  says  that  I  can  go  with  them." 

"  Benjamin  takes  too  much  for  granted,"  said  Pru 
dence,  holding  her  iron  to  her  cheek  to  test  its  heat. 
"There's  that  whole  web  of  linen  waiting  to  be  made 
up  ;  and  what  in  the  world  you  want  to  take  that  long 

•J  c5 

ride  in  the  sun  for,  passes  my  comprehension." 

"  Fo'  de  Ian'  sake,  Mis'  Prudens,  do  let  de  chile  go," 
entreated  Hagar.  "  Der  ain't  but  one  June  in  de  year, 
an'  dat  linum  '11  keep  to  Christmas.  I  jus'  like  to  be 
runnin'  loose  on  dem  meaders  myself  dis  minute,  like  I 
use'  ter  when  I's  young." 

Prudence  walked  stiffly  to  the  hearth,  and  set  her  sad- 


40  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

iron  clown  between  the  tall  fire-dogs,  without  deigning 
to  give  Hagar  an  answer ;  and  Margaret  waited  impa 
tiently. 

"Ah,  here  is  Margaret,"  said  her  grandfather,  pro 
jecting  his  head  into  the  kitchen.  "  We  are  going 
down  to  the  meadows  to  see  how  the  flocks  are  faring.'' 

"Oh!  are  you  going,  too,  grandad?"  she  cried  joy 
ously. 

"  Yes;  and  we  are  waiting  for  thee  —  that  is,  if  Pru 
dence  can  spare  thee." 

"It's  not  the  sparing  her  I'm  thinking  of, — idlers  are 
easily  spared,"  said  her  aunt  severely,  —  "  but  the  thrift 
less  habits  she  is  getting  into.  It's  time  that  she  settled 
down  to  woman's  work." 

"Nay,  nay,  Prudence,"  protested  the  old  man;  "let 
her  make  the  most  of  her  girlhood.  Care  will  meet  her 
soon  enough." 

Margaret  gave  him  a  grateful  smile,  and  sped  to  her 
room. 

"  Hurry  up,"  called  Ben,  when  presently  she  came 
flying  out;  "it's  time  we  were  off." 

It  had  taken  her  scarcely  five  minutes  to  slip  on  her 
fresh  gown,  and  tie  her  straw  hat  over  her  curls  ;  but 
boys  were  prone  to  be  impatient  a  hundred  years  ago. 

"  Dood-by,  my  did,"  piped  little  Rick  wistfully,  from 
the  woodpile. 

"  Good-by,  my  boy,"  Meg  called  back.  "Sometime 
Rick  shall  go  with  us." 

Lodowick  Brewster,  standing  beside  the  wagon,  smiled 
down  gravely  on  her  as  he  helped  her  in.  How  sweet 


THE  MEADOWS.  41 

and  womanly  she  was  growing,  was  his  thought.  And 
just  then  Nathaniel  Gardiner's  boyish  voice  was  heard 
calling,  "Good-morning"  across  the  street. 

"I  don't  like  being  deserted  by  my  friends  in  this 
way  the  first  day  of  my  vacation,"  cried  the  young  fel 
low,  hurrying  over  to  shake  hands. 

"Come  along  with  us,  then,"  urged  Ben.  "We're 
going  down  to  the  Meadows." 

"I'm  almost  tempted  to,"  Nathaniel  answered,  smil 
ing  frankly  at  Margaret.  "  But  I  came  only  half  an 
hour  ago,  and  have  hardly  seen  the  folks  at  home. 
Perhaps  I'll  join  you  in  the  course  of  the  morning  on 
horseback." 

"Nat's  a  royal  good  fellow,"  commented  Ben  as  they 
drove  on. 

Brewster  assented  heartily  to  this  ;  but  remembering 
the  joyous  way  in  which  Margaret  had  greeted  Nathan 
iel,  he  fell  to  pondering. 

They  had  nearly  reached  the  lower  windmill  when  a 
young  woman  was  seen  coming  down  the  beach  road. 

"It's  cousin  Betty,"  cried  Margaret.  "I  wish  she 
could  go  with  us." 

"  Nothin'  to  hinder,"  said  Ben,  pulling  in  his  horses, 
"  if  she  doesn't  have  to  stop  to  fix  up." 

The  young  woman  received  the  invitation  with  beam 
ing  pleasure.  She  was  on  her  way  to  spend  the  day 
with  Margaret,  and  could  go  with  them  as  well  as  not. 
She  was  a  fair-haired,  dainty-looking  girl,  with  large 
blue  eyes,  and  the  color  in  her  cheeks  made  one  think 
of  wild  roses.  Margaret,  who  was  two  or  three  years 


42  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

younger,  looked  up  to  her  with  a  sort  of  worshipful 
admiration. 

"There  is  no  one  like  cousin  Betty,"  she  had  once 
said  to  Lodowick  Brewster. 

"No,"  answered  Lodowick,  looking  down  at  her  with 
a  smile  ;  "  neither  is  there  any  one  like  —  like  your  Aunt 
Prudence." 

Why  he  had  finished  the  sentence  in  just  that  way 
was  a  puzzle  to  her ;  but  she  was  quite  sure  that  he 
shared  her  admiration  for  Betty. 

What  a  morning  it  was  !  The  sunshine  was  of  the 
sort  that  comes  only  in  June,  and  with  the  subtile  sweet 
ness  of  the  inland  air  was  blent  the  tonic  of  the  ocean 
breezes,  briny  and  cool ;  a  heavy  shower  the  night  be 
fore  had  levelled  the  ruts  in  the  sandy  road,  and  given  a 
dewy  freshness  to  the  landscape  ;  squirrels  were  frisking 
among  the  oak  boughs,  and  every  feathered  habitant  of 
tree  and  thicket  seemed  bubbling  over  with  song.  There 
were  few  houses  to  be  seen,  for  at  that  time  most  of  the 
farmers  of  the  East  End,  like  those  of  the  Orient,  had 
their  homes  within  the  safer  limits  of  the  villages  :  but 

C> 

wide  reaches  of  wheat  and  corn,  with  here  and  there  a 
field  of  blossoming  flax  lying  like  an  azure  lake  be 
tween  them,  told  that  the  husbandman  had  not  been 
idle.  Many  of  the  fields  were  surrounded  with  privet 
hedges,  and  the  rich  green  leafage  and  delicate  white 
bloom  made  a  pretty  contrast  with  the  blue-starred  flax. 
"  Looks  as  if  there's  going  to  be  plenty  of  hatchelling 
to  do  this  fall,"  remarked  Ben,  flicking  a  horsefly  from 
old  Vic's  back  with  the  tip  of  his  rawhide. 


THE  MEADOWS.  43 

"  The  more  the  better,  Ben,"  said  Brewster.  "  If  the 
colonies  unite  on  the  non-importation  scheme,  the  coun 
try  is  likely  to  need  all  the  flax  that  can  be  raised." 

"  Are  they  likely  to  unite?  "  asked  the  old  Quaker. 

"Oh,  there  can  be  no  question  of  it,  Friend  Thurs- 
ton.  The  people  are  thoroughly  aroused  on  the  subject, 
and  are  holding  meetings  throughout  all  the  Provinces. 
There  is  to  be  one  here  on  Friday,  and  then  we  shall 
know  definitely  how  our  people  feel  in  regard  to  it.  It 
l(*oks  now  as  if  the  entire  East  End  would  vote  for 
it." 

"  Dear  me  !  "  sighed  Betty,  smoothing  the  cashmere 
shawl  that  she  had  taken  the  precaution  to  bring  with 
her,  "  it's  dreadful  to  think  of  having  nothing  but  home 
spun  to  wear." 

"  Better  a  free  people  in  homespun,  Miss  Betty,  than 
slaves  in  royal  purple,"  said  Brewster.  "  We  have  worn 
the  king's  livery  too  long  already." 

"  Oh  !  but  the  goods  from  England  are  so  beautiful," 
said  the  girl,  "  and  so  necessary.  I  don't  see  how  in 
the  world  we  are  to  get  along  without  them." 

"  If  we  are  true  patriots,  it  will  be  an  easy  matter  for 
us  to  forego  England's  luxuries,"  answered  the  young 
man;  "at  least  until  England  learns  to  deal  justly 
by  us." 

Ben  gave  a  little  sniff. 

"I  sha'n't  cry  over  having  to  wear  homespun,"  he 
remarked,  "  I'm  used  to  that;  but  what's  a  fellow  going 
to  do,  I'd  like  to  know,  when  he  can't  get  any  molasses 
to  eat  on  his  pork  and  beans?  " 


44  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  O  Ben  !  Ben  !"  protested  Margaret,  with  a  ripple  of 
laughter,  "  is  that  the  measure  of  your  patriotism?  " 

"  Oh  !  you  can  laugh,"  retorted  Ben,  "  but  I  tell  you, 
now,  it's  a  pretty  serious  matter ;  and  I  don't  believe 
you'll  get  many  of  the  boys  to  vote  for  anything  that's 
going  to  cheat  'em  out  o'  their  molasses." 

"Ah,  Ben,  it's  all  a  serious  matter,"  said  Brewster, 
"  and  it's  hard  to  foresee  how  it's  going  to  end." 

"Hi,  there!"  cried  Ben,  clapping  his  hand  to  his 
cheek. 

They  had  reached  the  sandy  waste  of  Napeague,  and 
the  mosquitoes  were  beginning  to  scent  their  prey. 

"What  pests  they  are  !  "  complained  Betty. 

"  Oh  !  this  is  nothing  but  a  scouting-party,"  answered 
Ben.  "Just  wait  till  we  get  fairly  into  the  desert." 

And  presently  they  were  swarming  about  them  like  the 
flies  of  Egypt ;  but  Ben  sprung  out  and  broke  off  some 
bayberry  branches,  and  with  these  fragrant  wands  the 
travellers  succeeded  in  a  measure  in  warding  off  their 
attacks. 

"  We  sha'n't  be  troubled  with  them  after  we  leave 
Napeague,"  said  Brewster.  "  They  never  venture  over 
the  line." 

It  was  a  wild  and  lonely  region,  hemmed  in  on  either 
hand  with  broken  ranges  of  sand-dunes  —  the  latter,  on 
the  ocean  side,  being  here  and  there  surmounted  with 
gaunt  and  twisted  cedars  which  stood  leaning  landward, 
dark  and  grim,  like  the  sentinel  ghosts  of  ancient  sachems 
-  and  the  silence  was  rent  only  with  the  moan  of  the 
billows  and  the  occasional  cry  of  a  fish-hawk.  Even 


THE   MEADOWS.  45 

under  the  soft  June  sky  there  was  something  weird  and 
awesome  about  it ;  and  the  glimpse  of  the  sea  that  one 
caught  at  intervals  between  the  ragged  cliffs  served  only 
to  intensify  the  sense  of  desolation. 

But  beyond  this  desert,  with  the  still  waters  of  Fort 
Pond  and  Great  Pond  lapping  the  sedgy  shores,  lay  the 
Meadows ;  and  to  see  the  Meadows  in  the  glory  of  a 
June  morning  one  might  be  willing  to  face  many  a  worse 
foe  than  the  Napeague  mosquito.  Rising  steadily  higher 
apd  higher,  they  stretched  away  in  billowy  greenness, 
on  and  on,  to  where  the  Point,  lifting  its  rugged  shoulder 
against  the  sky,  kept  ceaseless  watch  of  the  great  sea 
chafing  like  a  chained  lion  at  its  base.  And  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach  were  scattered  the  countless  herds,  some 
browsing  on  the  hillsides  or  in  the  lush  marshes,  some 
ruminating  under  the  ancient  oaks,  and  others  standing 
knee-deep  in  the  fern-fringed  inlets.  Two  thousand 
head  of  cattle  and  nearly  twice  that  number  of  sheep,  be 
sides  hundreds  of  horses  and  goats,  roamed  these  breezy 
pastures  ;  for  Montauk  at  that  time  was  the  "  ranch  "  for 
the  entire  East  End. 

A  handful  of  Indian  huts  and  three  or  four  small  houses 
occupied  by  the  herders  were  the  only  human  habitations. 
Now  and  then  there  could  be  heard  the  tinkle  of  a  bell, 
or  a  plaintive  bleat  from  some  of  the  long-legged  lambs 
frisking  on  the  windy  uplands  ;  but  the  only  sound  that 
impressed  one  was  the  continuous  beat  of  the  surf. 

"I  don'  know  what  I'd  do  'thout  that,"  said  old  Job 
Lumley,  chief  of  the  herders.  "  It's  a  sight  o'  company 
down  here  in  the  night-time.  That  ca'm  sheet  o'  water 


46  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

t'other  side's  all  well  enough  for  them  as  likes  it ;  but  I 
say  give  me  the  ol'  ocean." 

"I  don't  wonder  that  Job  loves  it,"  said  Brewster. 
"There  is  no  other  music  that  has  so  many  variations, 
—  to-day  an  anthem,  to-morrow,  perhaps,  a  battle-cry." 

Margaret  looked  up  with  shining  eyes.  She  had  been 
patting  Wolf,  a  great  yellowish-gray  dog,  whose  pedi 
gree  dated  back  to  the  savage  wolf-dogs  kept  by  the  In 
dians  when  the  East  End  was  first  settled  by  the  English, 
but  not  a  word  had  escaped  her. 

"  I  like  it  as  it  is  to-day/'  said  Betty  Osgood,  "  gentle 
and  low,  like  a  chant.  When  it  shrieks  and  pounds,  it 
makes  me  shudder." 

A  small  barefooted  boy,  in  tow  trousers,  flashed  a  pair 
of  keen  black  eyes  on  Betty. 

"  Eh,  but  then's  when  I  likes  it  best;  sounds  as  if  it 
was  havin'  a  good  lively  time,  an'  most  al'ays  you  can 
pick  up  things  after  it." 

"  What,  you  little  rascal,  have  you  taken  to  '  mooning  ;1 
already  ?  "  asked  Brewster,  rubbing  his  hand  over  the 
tousled  head. 

"  An'  why  shouldn't  he  be  takin'  to  it?  "  said  old  Job 
with  a  grin.  "  His  father  an'  his  grandfather  took  to  it 
before  'im.  Folks  can't  hardly  help  it,  livin'  so  close  to 
the  sea.  An'  you  never  know  -what's  goin'  to  turn  up. 
It'd  take  a  day  an'  a  night  to  tell  all  the  queer  things 
I've  seen  come  ashore  here  after  some  o'  them  big 
blows." 

"Say!"  cried  Ben,  bounding  up  the  hillside,  "here 

1  Beach-combing. 


THE   MEADOWS.  47 

comes  Cousin  David  Gardiner.  He  came  down  in  his 
sailboat,  and  landed  at  Fort  Pond." 

"Cousin  David  Gardiner!  I  didn't  know  that  he 
was  related  to  us,"  said  Margaret  in  surprise. 

"  Oh,  it  isn't  on  your  side  of  the  house,  Meg,  my 
dear.  Mother  says  her  step-aunt  was  own  cousin  to  his 
grandfather,  and  so  of  course  that  makes  us  cousins." 

Meg  gave  a  mocking  little  laugh ;  but  there  was  no 
time  to  answer  Ben  according  to  his  folly,  for  here  was 
Mr.  David  Gardiner  himself  holding  out  both  hands  to 
her. 

Margaret  was  glad  to  see  him ;  for  besides  being  her 
father's  friend,  he  had  married  her  own  beloved  friend 
and  teacher,  Miss  Jerusha  Buell,  and  she  returned  his 
greeting  with  girlish  eagerness. 

He  had  with  him  a  stranger  who  was  buying  up  cat 
tle  to  ship  to  the  West  Indies,  and  he  took  especial  pride 
in  calling  attention  to  the  healthy  condition  of  the  stock. 

"  It's  all  owin'  to  this  bracin'  a'r,"  said  old  Job,  al 
ways  proud  to  hear  his  cattle  praised;  "it  acts  on  the 
an'mals  jus'  as  it  does  on  humans,  it  puts  new  life  in 
'em.  No  matter  how  spindlin'  an'  scrawny  they  be 
when  they  come  here,  in  less  'n  a  week  they'll  begin 
to  pick  up.  You  won't  find,  the  world  over,  finer  herds 
an'  flocks  'n  we've  got  here  on  Montaukett,  ner  better 
paster  land.  My  grandfather  use'  to  be  a  shepherd  in 
the  ol'  country,  'fore  he  come  to  the  colonies  ;  an'  many's 
the  time  I've  heard  him  say  'twas  as  fine  as  the  English 
downs." 

"  Thou  hast  good  reason  to  be  proud  of  it,  Job,"  said 


48  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Friend  Thurston.  "  It  is  a  sight  that  always  calls  to 
mind  the  '  cattle  on  a  thousand  hills,  and  the  flocks  that 
fed  in  Sharon.' ' 

But  to  the  stranger  it  seemed  to  call  to  mind  only  the 
opportunity  it  offered  to  make  a  good  bargain,  and  he 
proceeded  at  once  to  business. 

"  He's  a  shrewd  one,  beggin'  your  pardon,"  observed 
old  Job  aside  to  Mr.  Gardiner;  "  an'  if  it  wasn't  he's 
a  friend  o'  yourn,  Mr.  David,  I  shouldn't  be  for  havin' 
much  dealin'  with  him.  There's  that  about  him  makes 
you  feel  't  you'd  better  keep  an  eye  on  'im." 

"Softly,  Job,"  cautioned  Mr.  Gardiner.  "I  know 
no  more  about  him  than  you  do,  except  that  his  name  is 
Hodson.  He  came  to  the  Manor  this  morning  with  a 
letter  of  introduction  from  an  old  acquaintance  across 
the  Sound,  saying  that  he  was  a  cattle-buyer,  and  had  a 
large  order  to  fill  for  the  West  Indies  ;  and  though  I 
admit  that  there  is  nothing  very  prepossessing  about  the 
man,  we  must  not  pass  judgment  on  him  until  we  know 
him  better." 

But  Job  went  off  grumbling  to  himself: 

"  When  a  man's  got  the  de'il  in  his  heart,  he's  pretty 
sure  to  show  it  in  his  eye,"  he  muttered,  shaking  his 
shaggy  locks. 

But  men  are  not  likely  to  forego  a  desirable  bargain 
simply  because  a  man  has  an  unprepossessing  face : 
and  as  the  old  Quaker  and  Lodowick  Brewster,  besides 
owning  a  goodly  number  of  the  cattle,  were  commis 
sioned  to  sell  for  their  friends,  the  terms  were  soon 
agreed  upon. 


THE  MEADOWS.  49 

Meanwhile  old  Job  had  sent  a  message  to  his  wife, 
and  presently  young  Job  and  his  sister  Patsy  came  from 
the  cabin  bringing  a  generous  supply  of  milk  and  dough 
nuts.  The  milk  was  served  in  brown  earthen  mugs, 
but  Royal  Worcester  would  have  added  nothing  to  its 
flavor. 

"  'Pon  my  honor,  our  gracious  sovereign  himself 
might  relish  it,"  quoth  the  stranger,  smacking  his  lips. 
"  Down,  you  brute  !  " 

'£  Aye,  an'  put  a  tax  on  it,  too,  if  he  could,"  growled 
old  Job,  as  he  called  off  Wolf,  who  was  sniffing  suspi 
ciously  at  Hodson's  heels. 

"  Hullo  !  here  comes  Big  Sam,"  cried  Ben.  "  May 
be  he'd  like  a  snack." 

But  Big  Sam,  though  he  condescended  to  take  a 
doughnut,  looked  with  disdain  on  the  brimming  mug 
that  Ben  made  haste  to  offer. 

"  Pappoose  drink  milk,"  he  said,  with  his  fine  lips  curl 
ing  ;  "  Big  Sam  like  strong  water." 

"Bad,  Sam,  bad,"  moralized  Ben.  "Strong  water 
makes  men  crazy." 

"  No  hurt  Ingin  in  wigwam,"  answered  Sam.  "  He 
jus'  shut  eyes  an'  go  sleep  like  dead  man,  two  days, 
sometimes  t'ree." 

"  Here,  Sam,  try  this,"  said  the  cattle-buyer,  pulling 
a  flask  from  his  pocket.  Sam  eyed  it  longingly,  but 
shook  his  head. 

"  Big  Sam  no  drink  strong  water  when  work  not  done. 
Me  go  now  to  fin'  los'  steer.  No  want  to  lose  self  'fore 
steer  git  foun'.  Git  steer  home  to-night,  then  me  drink 


50  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

plenty."  And  helping  himself  to  another  doughnut  from 
Patsy's  basket,  he  went  loping  toward  the  woods. 

"That  is  thoroughly  characteristic  of  Big  Sam,"  re 
marked  Brewster.  "Fond  as  he  is  of  rum,  he  can 
always  be  relied  on  not  to  touch  a  drop  of  it  while  he 
has  any  business  in  hand." 

"  Pity  some  of  his  betters  didn't  foller  the  same  rule," 
muttered  old  Job. 

"  He  is  a  Montaukett,"  Brewster  continued,  without 
noticing  Job's  parenthesis,  "  and  the  herders  are  often 
glad  of  his  help." 

"Are  there  many  of  the  tribe  left?"  Hodson  asked 
with  sudden  interest. 

"  Only  a  remnant,"  Mr.  Gardiner  answered.  "  But 
they  were  a  powerful  tribe  when  the  English  first  came 
to  the  Island  ;  and,  owing  to  the  kindness  with  which  they 
have  always  been  treated,  they  are  firm  friends  of  the 
white  settlers.  The  same  is  true  of  the  Shinnecocks." 

"Not  so  firm,  I'll  venture  to  wager,  as  to  be  proof 
against  a  bale  of  blankets  or  a  keg  of  rum,"  answered 
Hodson  with  an  ugly  leer. 

"  Huh  !  "  sniffed  old  Job,  putting  down  the  mug  from 
which  he  had  been  taking  great  draughts  of  creamy 
milk,  and  scowling  till  his  shaggy  eyebrows  formed  a 
bridge  above  his  nose,  "  the  man  that'd  be  mean  'nough 
to  try  any  sech  deviltry  as  that  'd  deserve  to  be  scalped." 

"I  doubt  if  it  would  be  an  easy  task  to  turn  them 
from  their  allegiance,"  said  Mr.  Gardiner  quietly.  "  It 
is  true  they  have  degenerated  in  many  ways  since  my 
ancestor,  Lion  Gardiner,  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace  with 


THE  MEADOWS,  51 

their  grand  sachem,  Wyandanch,  who  was  one  of  na 
ture's  noblemen ;  but  there  are  some  fair  specimens  left 
still.  Look,  for  instance,  at  old  Peter  John,  the  Shinne- 
cock  preacher.  For  more  than  thirty  years  he  has  been 
ministering  to  the  Indians  of  the  East  End,  and  it  would 
be  hard  to  find  anywhere  a  man  more  devoted  to  his 
calling.  Both  tribes  are  people  of  fine  natural  intelli 
gence,  and  their  tribal  traditions  would  make  a  volume 
worth  studying." 

But  Hodson  took  no  interest  in  the  Indians'  past  his 
tory  ;  and  Mr.  Gardiner,  mindful  that  the  tide  would 
soon  be  changing,  suggested  that  it  was  time  for  them 
to  be  thinking  of  returning. 

"We,  too,  must  be  starting,"  said  Brewster.  "It  is 
a  hard  pull  across  Napeague." 

"  Why  not  let  some  of  your  party  go  back  with  me 
as  far  as  Fireplace?"1  proposed  Mr.  Gardiner. 

Why  not,  indeed?  Margaret  and  Betty,  who  had 
been  talking  with  Patsy  and  her  brother,  at  once  became 
interested  listeners. 

"You,  I  am  sure,  Friend  Thurston,  would  find  the 
boat  more  comfortable  than  the  wagon,"  Mr.  Gardiner 
urged  ;  "  and  Betty  and  Margaret,  I  know  by  their  eyes, 
would  much  rather  go  by  water." 

Betty  turned  hesitatingly  to  Brewster. 

"Wouldn't  you  prefer  the  boat?"  she  asked. 

"What,  leave  me  to  fight  my  way  across  Napeague 

1  The  name  of  Fireplace  originated  in  the  fact  that  when  any  one  wished  to  cross 
from  the  mainland  to  the  Manor,  it  was  customary  to  build  a  fire  of  dry  seaweed  at 
this  point  as  a  signal  for  a  skiff  to  be  sent  over  from  the  island. 


52  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

single-handed  against  all  those  stinging  hordes?"  cried 
Ben  tragically. 

"  You  see  how  it  is,  Miss  Betty,"  Brewster  answered, 
with  a  smile  ;  "  it  TV ould  seem  a  little  shabby,  I'm  afraid, 
to  let  Ben  drive  back  alone." 

"  Oh  !  go  on,  go  on  ;  I  can  stand  it.  Only  you  needn't 
expect  to  find  much  left  of  me  by  the  time  we  meet  at 
Fireplace." 

"Poor  boy!  he  shall  have  my  veil,"  laughed  Mar 
garet,  holding  out  a  strip  of  green  gauze  gathered  at 
one  end  on  a  narrow  ribbon. 

"No,  I  thank  you,"  retorted  Ben;  "I'll  face  the 
enemy  unmasked." 

"Perhaps  you'll  have  the  good  fortune  to  meet  Na 
thaniel,"  Margaret  called  back,  as  she  started  down  the 
hill  with  her  grandfather  and  Mr.  Gardiner. 

"  Oh,  do  come,"  begged  Betty,  turning  to  Brewster. 
"I  don't  dare  go  past  the  cattle  alone." 

And  thus  entreated,  the  young  man  nodded  to  Ben, 
and  gave  his  arm  to  the  timid  Betty.  Betty,  though  by 
no  means  a  fragile  creature,  always  impressed  her  friends 
as  needing  especial  care  ;  and  Brewster  was  one  who 
seemed  born  to  be  a  protector.  The  wind  from  across 
the  marshes  was  beginning  to  be  damp  and  cool,  and  he 
considerately  drew  her  shawl  over  her  shoulders. 

"  It  is  well  to  be  prudent,"  he  said.  And  Betty  thanked 
him  with  a  beaming  smile.  She  enjoyed  being  taken 
care  of  in  just  that  way.  Where  is  the  woman  that 
doesn't  enjoy  it? 

But  Brewster  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  Margaret's  face 


THE  MEADOWS. 


as  the  girl  went  past  him  ;  and  he  imagined  that  she  was 
looking  somewhat  grave  —  at  least  there  were  no  dimples 
at  play. 

"She  is  disappointed,"  he  said  to  himself,  *' because 
Nathaniel  failed  to  join  us."  And  the  thought  made 
him  unmindful  for  the  moment  that  Betty  was  clinging 
to  his  arm. 


54  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LORD    LION. 

WHEN  they  reached  the  boat  they  found  the  cattle- 
buyer  in  a  fever  to  be  off.  The  "beastly  "  cap 
tain  of  the  sloop  that  brought  him  over,  he  said,  might 
at  any  moment  take  it  into  his  head  to  weigh  anchor ; 
and  if  he  sailed  without  him  he  should  be  in  a  sorry 
plight. 

There  was  a  lively  breeze,  and  the  girls,  though  the 
salt  spray  dashed  in  their  faces,  thoroughly  enjoyed 
it ;  but  the  stranger  presently  set  himself  to  draw  them 
into  conversation.  Whereupon  Brewster,  perceiving 
that  they  were  annoyed,  began  to  discuss  with  him  the 
colonies'  prospects  concerning  trade  with  the  West  In 
dies. 

"They  never  were  better,"  the  man  declared.  "You'll 
find  no  readier  market  for  your  cattle." 

But,  civil  as  the  words  seemed,  there  was  something 
in  his  voice  and  manner  that  made  Brewster  say  to  him 
self  that  the  old  herder  was  a  good  reader  of  character. 

As  they  neared  the  landing,  a  doe,  standing  at  the 
water's  edge,  with  a  fawn  at  her  side,  raised  her  head 
and  regarded  them  intently ;  but  there  was  no  hint  of 
fear  in  her  great  soft  eyes. 


LORD  LION.  55 

'  By  Jove  !  what  a  chance,  if  one  only  had  a  gun  !  " 
cried  Hodson,  springing  to  his  feet. 

"  Nay,  friend,"  said  the  old  Quaker,  "  that  would  be 
contrary  to  the  rules  of  the  Manor.  Friend  Gardiner 
allows  none  of  them  to  be  shot." 

'•Oho!  private  property,  are  they?  And  I  see  there 
is  a  goodly  show  of  sheep  and  cattle,"  said  the  man. 
"  Well,  if  the  trade  with  the  West  Indies  keeps  up,  there 
is  likely  to  be  a  demand  for  them." 

The  sloop's  boat  in  which  he  had  come  ashore  was 
fastened  at  the  landing  ;  and  while  he  was  exchanging 
a  final  word  with  Mr.  Gardiner,  Margaret  espied  the 
lady  of  the  Manor  coming  down  the  path,  and  springing 
out,  she  ran  to  meet  her. 

"  Margaret,  thou  wilt  hinder  us,"  called  her  grand 
father. 

"Why  not  leave  her?"  said  Mr.  Gardiner.  "Wife 
has  been  wanting  a  visit  from  her." 

And  as  her  grandfather,  knowing  that  she  would  be 
only  too  glad  to  be  left,  offered  no  objection,  he  pushed 
off  at  once. 

"  Oh,  they  are  starting  !  "  cried  the  girl,  dropping  her 
friend's  hand  and  running  back  to  the  landing,  thinking 
that  Mr.  Gardiner  had  not  missed  her.  But  a  laughing 
good-by  from  Betty  and  Brewster  told  her  that  she  had 
been  intentionally  deserted. 

"  That's  David's  doing,"  said  Mrs.  Gardiner,  putting 
her  arm  about  the  girl.  "  He  knew  how  I  had  been 
longing  for  you." 

"And  I  dare  say  grandpa  was  in  league  with  him," 


56  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Margaret  answered  contentedly;  "for  he  knew  how  I 
had  been  longing  for  you." 

On  the  way  to  the  house  they  were  met  by  Jason  Skrill, 
one  of  the  farm  hands,  who  brought  word  that  a  favorite 
mare  had  just  died  of  lock-jaw,  leaving  a  colt  scarcely  a 
fortnight  old. 

"The  master  was  mighty  fond  of  her,"  he  said. 
"There  wasn't  another  an'mal  in  the  stables  that  he  set 
sech  store  by ;  an'  I'm  afeard  now  the  little  beast  '11  be 
dyin'  too,  for  not  so  much  as  a  thimbleful  hev  we  got 
down  it  this  blessed  clay.  P'raps,  milady,  you  wouldn't 
mind  comin'  to  take  a  look  at  it?  " 

"  May  I  come  too?  "  asked  Margaret. 

"Why,  to  be  sure,  if  the  missis  is  willin'.  But  it's  a 
sorry  sight,  my  little  maid,  for  the  pore  thing  is  that 
weak  in  the  legs  that  he  wabbles  like  a  tipsy  sailor." 

"  That  was  just  the  way  with  my  Snowball  when  she 
was  a  young  calf,"  said  Margaret.  "They  had  taken 
away  her  mother,  and  at  first  I  thought  she  was  going 
to  die  ;  but  after  a  time  I  coaxed  her  to  eat,  and  now  she 
is  a  beautiful  great  cow.  Lodowick  Brewster  says  I 
ought  to  have  named  her  Juno." 

The  man  had  reached  the  stable,  and  Margaret  hurried 
after  him. 

"  She  herself  bids  fair  to  be  a  Juno,  my  pretty  Mar 
garet,"  was  Mrs.  Gardiner's  thought  as  she  watched  the 
girlish  figure.  "  She  grows  more  and  more  like  her 
mother."  And  the  sigh  that  escaped  her  was  to  the 
memory  of  the  friend  who  had  slipped  into  the  other  life 
when  Margaret  was  but  five  years  old. 


LORD  LION.  57 

The  stable  boy,  a  woolly-headed  African,  had  brought 
in  a  pail  of  new  milk,  and  was  trying  in  vain  to  make 
the  colt  drink. 

"Let  me  try,"  begged  Margaret,  dipping  her  hand 
in  the  pail.  "Oh,  you  poor  darling!"  And  soon 
the  little  fellow  was  pulling  lustily  at  the  soft  pink 
fingers. 

"Well,  that  beats  me!"  said  Jason  admiringly,  as 
Margaret,  with  her  arm  over  the  colt's  neck,  went  on 
feeding  it.  "  But  it  jus'  goes  to  show  't  all  young  things, 
whether  they're  dumb  critters  or  human,  want  motherin', 
an'  women  folks  is  the  only  ones  as  knows  how  it  ought 
to  be  done." 

Mrs.  Gardiner,  who  was  stroking  the  velvety  ears, 
nodded  approvingly. 

"  It's  the  love  in  the  heart  that  makes  the  true  mother 
ing,  Jason,"  she  said,  with  a  smile;  "  and  Margaret,  I 
think,  has  a  double  share  of  it." 

"That's  the  truth,  ma'am,"  said  Jason  heartily.  "The 
little  maid  has  a  way  with  her  that  wins  'em  all  to  her 
biddin'." 

Margaret  was  too  much  absorbed  in  her  ministrations 
to  notice  these  comments. 

"  He  was  almost  starved,  poor  thing,"  she  said,  when 
at  last  the  colt  showed  signs  of  being  satisfied.  "You 
must  let  me  feed  him  again  in  the  morning,  Jason." 

"  It's  only  too  ready  I'll  be  to  let  you,  if  you'll  be  that 
kind,"  answered  Jason  from  behind  an  armful  of  hay 
with  which  he  was  making  up  the  colt's  bed;  "it'll  be 
the  savin'  of  the  little  beast's  life," 


58  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

The  sun  was  setting  as  they  left  the  stable,  and  the 
red  glow  gilded  the  rafters  of  the  new  manor  house.1 

"  I  shall  be  glad  when  it  is  finished,"  said  Mrs.  Gar 
diner.  "The  work  goes  on  but  slowly,  and  I  think  it 
troubles  my  husband.  I  wish  he  were  home.  The 
night  air  is  not  friendly  to  him.  Did  you  notice  how  he 
seemed  to-day,  Margaret?"  The  question  was  asked 
with  ill-concealed  anxiety. 

"  Oh  !  I  don't  know  when  I  have  seen  him  looking  so 
well,"  answered  Margaret  quickly.  "And  he  spoke 
very  cheerfully  about  the  new  house.  He  says  he  hopes 
to  see  it  finished  and  furnished  before  cold  weather  sets 
in." 

Mrs.  Gardiner  shook  her  head  as  if  not  altogether  in 
sympathy  with  this  hope. 

"  Our  little  island  is  an  Eden  in  summer,  but  in  winter 
we  are  at  the  mercy  of  every  wind  that  blows ;  and  I 
dread  it  for  David  in  his  present  state  of  health." 

"Oh!  by  that  time  he  may  be  well,"  said  the  girl, 
with  youthful  optimism.  "How  beautiful  it  is!"  she 
added,  taking  in  the  green  meadows  dotted  with  groups 
of  cuddling  sheep,  and  the  still  greener  fields  where 
wheat  and  oats  were  billowing  in  the  sunset  wind.  "  It 
makes  one  think  of  the  '  Isle  of  the  Blest.' ' 

While  they  stood  there  a  young  deer  bounded  through 
the  bushes,  and  after  gazing  at  them  a  second,  came 
and  rubbed  his  head  confidingly  against  Mrs.  Gardiner's 
shoulder. 

1  This  "new  manor  house,"  begun  in  1774,  is  still  occupied  by  the  Gardiner 
family. 


LORD   LION.  59 

"What  a  gentle  and  fearless  creature!"  said  Mar 
garet,  stroking  the  graceful  neck. 

"  Yes,  all  the  animals  on  the  island  are  gentle,  for  no 
one  is  allowed  to  make  them  afraid." 

Margaret  thought  of  the  cattle-buyer,  and  related  in 
dignantly  the  occurrence  at  the  landing. 

"  If  that  is  the  sort  of  a  man  he  is,  I  trust  he  will 
never  come  again,"  said  Mrs.  Gardiner.  "  I  can  ima 
gine  how  David  must  have  felt." 

Just  then  little  John  Lion  came  running  from  the 
house. 

"  Where  is  my  farver?  "  he  asked,  as  Margaret  caught 
him  in  her  arms.  "  I  turn  to  meet  him."  And  on  being 
told  that  his  father  had  gone  to  Fireplace,  he  begged  to 
go  to  the  landing  to  watch  for  him. 

"  Davy  turn  too  !  "  piped  a  little  voice  from  the  door 
step. 

"Oh,  the  baby!"  cried  Margaret,  running  back  for 
the  little  one. 

And  \vhen  in  the  gloaming  David  Gardiner  came  sail 
ing  home,  he  found  the  four  waiting  on  the  beach  to 
welcome  him. 

"How  has  the  day  gone,  sweetheart?"  he  asked, 
stooping  to  kiss  his  \vife.  But  young  John  Lion,  hug 
ging  his  father's  knee,  took  it  upon  himself  to  tell  the 
news. 

"Sick  hossy  deaded,  an'  'e  'ittle  tolt  has'n  any 
muvver." 

"  Poor  Brownie  !  I  hardly  thought  we  should  be  able 
to  save  her,"  said  Mr.  Gardiner,  as  he  mounted  John 


60  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Lion  on  his  shoulder.  "  And  I'm  afraid  now  it  will  be 
useless  to  try  to  raise  the  colt." 

"Perhaps  not,"  replied  his  wife.  "Margaret  has 
coaxed  the  little  fellow  to  eat,  and  made  Jason  her  slave 
for  life." 

"Well  done,  Margaret.  If  you  have  saved  him,  you 
must  do  us  the  honor  to  name  him." 

"Then  I  shall  name  him  after  his  master,"  she  said 
quickly. 

"  Oh,  not  David  !  "  he  protested  with  a  laugh  ;  "there 
are  too  many  Davids  already." 

"  Mrs.  Gardiner  and  I  don't  agree  with  you  in  that," 
she  answered,  turning  her  bright  face  to  her  friend. 
"What  could  be  better  than  'Sir  David'?" 

But  Mr.  Gardiner  insisted  that  it  had  not  the  right 
sound  for  a  horse  ;  and  by  the  time  they  had  reached  the 
house  they  had  compromised  on  "Lord  Lion,"  Mar 
garet  urging  that  it  was  a  family  name,  and  next  best  to 
"Sir  David." 

"  It  will  do  very  well  for  a  horse,"  said  Mr.  Gardiner  ; 
"but  our  great  ancestor  was  plain  Lion  Gardiner,  and 
though  His  Excellency,  Governor  Dongan,  saw  fit  to 
erect  the  island  into  a  lordship,  old  Lion  would  have 
been  the  last  one  to  assume  the  title.  Indeed,  I  doubt 
the  wisdom  of  introducing  or  encouraging  anything  of 
that  sort  in  this  new  land.  It  would  only  serve  to  estab 
lish  a  false  aristocracy.  The  colonies  have  a  better 
patent  of  nobility  than  any  that  kings  and  rulers  are  able 
to  confer ;  and  the  people  can  afford  to  dispense  with 
titles,  except  such  as  they  win  for  themselves." 


LORD  LION.  6 1 

"  What  word  from  Boston,  David?  "  asked  Mrs.  Gar 
diner  anxiously. 

"  Nothing,  love.  I  tried  to  learn  from  our  visitor  to 
day  whether  there  were  any  later  tidings,  but  he  pro 
fessed  to  take  no  interest  in  the  matter." 

"Then  surely  he  is  not  an  American,"  said  Mar 
garet. 

"  He  is  English,  I  think,"  answered  Mr.  Gardiner. 
"  But  I  fear  there  are  some  of  the  native-born  who  are 
qu4te  as  lacking  in  patriotism.  Perilous  days  are  at 
hand,  and  my  heart  misgives  me  concerning  the  out 
come."  And  with  a  heavy  sigh  he  changed  the  sub 
ject. 

After  supper  had  been  served  in  the  quaint  old  dining- 
room,  and  Master  John  and  his  baby  brother,  much 
against  their  will,  had  been  put  to  bed,  Margaret  begged 
to  hear  the  story  of  Captain  Kidd's  visit  to  the  island. 
She  had  heard  it  already  more  than  once,  but  it  always 
fascinated  her. 

"  I  suspect  that  some  of  it  is  mere  family  tradition," 
said  Mr.  Gardiner;  "that  in  regard  to  the  roast  pig,  for 
instance." 

"  Oh,  that  is  the  best  of  all !  "  cried  Margaret.  "  How 
else  could  the  cloth  of  gold  be  accounted  for?  Only 
think  how  disappointed  the  Grand  Mogul's  daughter 
must  have  been  over  the  loss  of  that  wondrous  fabric  ! " 

"  Yes,  if,  as  tradition  says,  it  was  a  part  of  her  dowry,'5 
responded  Mr.  Gardiner.  "But  to  me  the  invasion  of 
the  Spanish  pirates  always  seemed  more  real.  It  was 
early  in  September,  in  1728;  and  I've  often  heard  my 


62  /IN  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

father,  who  was  a  boy  at  the  time,  relate  the  circum 
stances.  A  schooner  of  sixty  guns  and  eighty  men 
stealthily  cast  anchor  in  the  bay  one  night,  and  suddenly 
every  one  was  roused  from  sleep  by  the  shouting  of  the 
pirates  as  they  forced  an  entrance  into  the  house.  His 
grandfather,  John  Gardiner,  who  was  ill  at  the  time, 
finding  that  resistance  would  be  worse  than  useless,  put 
the  women  and  children  into  the  care  of  a  trusty  Indian, 
who  guided  them  through  the  bushes  to  his  canoe,  and 
landed  them  safely  at  Accabonack  Harbor.  The  old  gen 
tleman  and  those  of  his  men  that  remained  with  him  suf 
fered  much  abuse  at  the  hands  of  the  fierce  buccaneers. 
But  we'll  not  talk  of  that  to-night.  It  might  give  you 
uncanny  dreams,  my  dear.  Happily  no  lives  were  lost : 
but  the  pirates  remained  on  the  island  several  days,  seiz 
ing  everything  of  value  that  they  could  lay  hands  on. 
Great-grandmother  Gardiner,  as  she  fled  from  the  house, 
caught  up  a  silver  tankard  ;  and  that  was  the  only  piece 
of  the  family  plate  that  was  saved.  Her  husband  man 
aged  at  last  to  get  word  to  New  London,  but  before  help 
arrived  the  marauders  had  made  good  their  escape." 

"  How  hard  it  is  to  realize  that  it  all  happened  here 
in  this  very  house  !  "  said  Margaret. 

"  Thank  God,  nothing  of  the  kind  is  likely  to  happen 
here  again,"  said  Mr.  Gardiner.  "There  is  no  longer 
in  these  waters  any  danger  to  be  apprehended  from 
pirates." 

"But  what  if  war  should  come?"  asked  the  girl, 
catching  her  breath. 

"If  war  should  come,"  said  David  Gardiner  slowly, 


LORD  LION.  63 

with  his  arm  around  his  wife,  "I  fear  we  should  have 
to  abandon  the  island,  and  cast  in  our  lot  with  our  friends 
in  the  village.  But  let  us  not  forebode  anything  so  ter 
rible  and  so  improbable.  England  has  too  much  good 
sense,  and  too  kind  a  heart,  to  declare  war  against  her 
own  flesh  and  blood." 

Early  the  next  morning  Margaret  was  aroused  by  the 
thumping  of  two  small  fists  against  her  door. 

"  Turn  feed  'e  tolt,  Marg'et,"  cried  a  lusty  little  voice. 
"  Tolty  onts  his  beef  as."  And  after  waiting  with  lordly 
impatience  for  her  to  dress,  John  Lion  escorted  her  to 
the  barn. 

"You  see,  Miss,  you've  got  yourself  into  business," 
was  Jason's  greeting,  "  for  the  little  beast  seems  to  think 
you've  'dopted  him,  an'  he  won't  hev  nothin'  to  do  with 
common  folks." 

The  colt  welcomed  her  by  rubbing  his  head  against 
her  like  an  affectionate  dog,  and  before  night  he  was 
trotting  about  the  grounds  with  her. 

"How  would  you  like  to  have  him  for  your  own?" 
asked  Mr.  Gardiner.  "Would  you  think  him  too  trou 
blesome  a  gift?  " 

"  Oh,  you  are  not  in  earnest?"  she  cried. 

"  Indeed  I  am,  my  little  maid.  You  are  the  only  one 
that  seems  able  to  manage  him,  and  in  your  care  I  am 
sure  he  will  thrive." 

Lord  Lion,  as  if  aware  that  he  was  being  discussed, 
thrust  his  head  under  Margaret's  arm,  and  gave  a  low 
whinny. 

"You  darling!"  she  cried,  patting  his  tawny  neck. 


64  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

''Oh,  I  can  never  thank  you  enough,  Mr.  Gardiner! 
I'm  sure  he  is  going  to  live,  and  I  shall  try  to  bring 
him  up  to  do  credit  to  his  name,"  she  added,  her  cheek 
dimpling.  Whereupon  Mr.  Gardiner  bowed  gallantly, 
and  declared  that  he  had  no  fears  concerning  his  bring 
ing  up. 


A  UNANIMOUS  VOTE.  65 


CHAPTER   VII. 

A    UNANIMOUS    VOTE. 

AT  EVER  in  the  history  of  the  village  had  there  been 
1- %  such  a  town-meeting  as  the  one  held  on  the  lyth 
of  June,  1774. l 

The  whole  community  was  in  sympathy  with  Boston ; 
and  without  a  dissenting  voice  it  was  voted  that  they 
would,  "to  the  utmost  of  their  ability,  assist  and  in  a 
lawful  manner  defend  the  immunities  of  British  Amer 
ica,"  and  also  that  they  would  co-operate  with  their 
brethren  in  the  East  End  colony  "in  such  measures  as 
should  appear  best  adapted  to  save  them  from  the  bur 
dens  they  feared,  and,  in  a  measure,  already  felt,  from 
the  principles  adopted  by  the  British  Parliament  respect 
ing  the  town  of  Boston  in  particular  and  the  British  colo 
nies  in  North  America  in  general." 

It  was  also  voted  that  a  non-importation  agreement 
throughout  the  colonies  was  "the  most  likely  means  to 
save  the  country  from  both  present  and  future  troubles." 

"  If  all  the  colonies  would  unite  on  that,  it  would  tend 
to  bring  Parliament  to  terms  sooner  than  any  other  meas 
ure,"  said  David  Gardiner. 

He  had  come  from  the  Manor  that  morning,  bringing 

1  For  a  fuller  account  of  this  meeting  see  "  Chronicles  of  Easthampton." 


66  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

with  him  Margaret  and  Lord  Lion,  and  had  accepted 
from  Friend  Thurston  an  invitation  to  dinner. 

"They  are  decidedly  in  favor  of  it,  if  the  reports  are 
to  be  trusted,"  said  Lodowick  Brewster,  whom  Aaron 
Neale,  being  in  earnest  discourse  with  him  when  they 
reached  the  gate,  had  persuaded  to  come  in. 

Prudence,  knowing  that  guests  were  always  to  be 
expected  on  town-meeting  day —  though  she  had  not 
hesitated  to  express  her  contempt  for  the  object  of  the 
meeting  —  had  spread  an  elaborate  meal,  and  her  pol 
ished  pewter  and  shining  cutlery  made  a  fine  glitter  — 
she  was  very  proud  of  her  table  plenishings  —  but  the 
men  seated  themselves  with  minds  so  preoccupied  that 
it  was  a  hard  matter  for  them  to  come  at  once  to  the  con 
sideration  of  meats  and  vegetables.  Their  indifference 
sorely  fretted  her;  and,  with  a  housewife's  distress  in 
seeing  her  carefully  prepared  dishes  unappreciated,  she 
made  strenuous  efforts  to  turn  the  conversation  to  the 
subject  that,  to  her,  was  just  then  of  much  greater  mo 
ment  than  the  state  of  the  country.  But  every  topic  that 
was  introduced  led  straight  to  Boston.  She  asked  Mr. 
Gardiner  how  his  sheep  were  thriving,  and  found  that 
instead  of  bringing  the  attention  of  her  guests  to  the  neg 
lected  mutton  on  their  plates,  she  had  but  opened  the 
way  for  a  prolonged  discussion  on  the  probable  resources 
of  the  beleaguered  Bay  Colony.  Even  a  simple  inquiry 
in  regard  to  the  new  manor-house  brought  a  similar 
result. 

"If  we  had  foreseen,"  said  Mr.  Gardiner,  "that  a 
storm  like  this  was  brewing,  we  should  hardly  have  ven- 


A   UNANIMOUS   VOTE.  67 

tured  to  begin  to  build.  These  are  troublous  times,  and 
until  the  clouds  lift  it  is  well  for  men  to  go  cautiously." 

"  It  is  a  time  when  'their  strength  is  to  sit  still,' "  said 
the  old  Quaker. 

"  No,  no,  father,"  cried  John  Thurston,  "  that  time  is 
past.  We  have  been  sitting  still  too  long  already.  What 
is  needed  now  is  immediate  and  decisive  action." 

"  Aye,  but  nothing  should  be  done  rashly,  John." 

Ben  was  really  the  only  one  at  the  table  that  showed 
a  genuine  appreciation  of  the  good  things  set  before  him  ; 
he  had  the  usual  appetite  of  a  healthy  boy,  and  it  took 
something  more  tangible  than  the  threatened  quarrel  with 
England  to  affect  it.  But  Margaret  let  no  word  escape 
her.  She  had  a  keen  relish  for  the  conversation  of  those 
older  and  wiser  than  herself ;  and  she  listened  now  with 
the  feeling  that  the  subject  was  one  that  involved  vital 
interests,  and  that  it  was  her  duty  to  understand  it  thor 
oughly. 

"And  how  is  Lord  Lion  conducting  himself?"  asked 
Mr.  Gardiner,  when  at  last  the  others  fell  to  eating. 

"  Oh  !  he  is  quite  at  home  already,  and  seems  to  have 
taken  a  wonderful  liking  to  little  Rick.  I  never  saw 
such  an  affectionate  little  creature.  Father  says  he  has 
the  making  of  a  splendid  horse." 

"  lie  will  make  a  fine  pacer  if  he  takes  after  his  dam," 
Mr.  Gardiner  answered.  "When  he  is  old  enough  for 

o 

the  saddle  you  must  let  me  have  a  hand  in  helping  you 
train  him." 

"  Oh,  thank  you  !  "  cried  the  girl.  But  suddenly  there 
was  a  shadow  on  his  face  that  filled  her  with  misgiving. 


68  AN  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

"Lord  Lion  will  need  a  stronger  hand  than  his,"  she 
said  sorrowfully  to  herself. 

Though  the  ensuing  weeks  brought  nothing  but  tor 
turing  uncertainty,  there  was  a  general  feeling  that  mat 
ters  were  approaching  a  crisis ;  and  this  feeling  was  in 
no  degree  lessened  when  the  news  was  received  that  the 
Continental  Congress  had  resolved  to  suspend  all  com 
mercial  intercourse  with  the  mother  country.  It  was  a 
bold  measure  ;  and  Long  Island,  in  common  with  the 
rest  of  the  colonies,  while  heartily  approving  of  it,  waited 
with  bated  breath  to  know  how  England  would  receive 
it.  Would  the  expression  of  "all  dutifulness  to  the 
crown,"  that  had  accompanied  it,  lead  her  to  make  the 
longed-for  concessions?  Or  would  she  regard  the  reso 
lution  as  a  challenge,  and  declare  war?  If  the  former, 
they  would  continue  to  be  her  loyal  subjects;  if  the  lat 
ter,  they  were  ready  to  "dare  and  die"  in  defence  of 
their  rights. 

CD 

But  their  hearts  failed  at  the  thought  of  what  might 
be  the  fate  of  Long  Island  in  case  of  war.  A  quench 
less  love  for  their  sea-girt  isle, 

"  Far  placed  amid  the  melancholy  main," 

is  a  notable  characteristic  of  the  people  of  the  East  End, 
and  equally  strong  is  their  love  of  the  sea.  A  handful 
of  heather  is  not  dearer  to  a  Scotchman,  nor  a  shamrock 
leaf  to  a  son  of  jjreen  Erin,  than  a  bit  of  drv  seaweed  to 

r">  +> 

an  exiled  Long  Islander  ;  and  this  love  was  not  one  whit 
less  intense  a  hundred  years  ago  than  it  is  to-day.  The 


A   UNANIMOUS   VOTE.  69 

sea  was  a  part  of  their  life ;  they  had  taken  the  tonic  of 
its  breath  with  their  mothers'  milk,  and  the  roar  of  its 
billows  had  blended  with  their  cradle  songs.  But  they 
knew  only  too  well  that,  it  war  were  declared,  the  sea 
they  loved  would  become  at  once  the  ally  of  the  enemy ; 
and  with  this  foreboding  added  to  their  anxiety  concern 
ing  Boston,  the  mail-carrier,  that  once  a  week  in  summer 
and  once  a  fortnight  in  winter  forged  down  the  Island, 
was  watched  for  with  feverish  impatience. 

A*  winter  drew  on,  the  reports  regarding  the  tribula 
tions  of  the  Bay  Colony  grew  more  and  more  harrowing. 

"  Old  Suffolk  would  gladly  spend  and  be  spent  in 
their  behalf,  if  any  way  could  be  devised  for  succor  to 
reach  them,"  said  "Assemblyman  Miller,"  whose  title 
had  been  won  by  twenty  years  of  faithful  service  in  the 
legislature. 

"Away  must  be  devised,"  said  Squire  Chatlield. 

New  England  herself  was  not  more  eager  to  reach  out 
a  helping  hand ;  and  in  November,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
committee  of  correspondence  at  Riverhead,  a  vote  was 
taken  empowering  Captain  John  Foster,  of  Sag  Harbor, 
to  visit  all  the  ports  in  the  county  for  the  purpose  of 
collecting  the  contributions  of  the  people  for  the  relief 
of  the  Boston  sufferers. 

Captain  Foster  accepted  the  commission  with  hearty 
zeal. 

"  It  may  be  only  a  drop  in  the  bucket,"  he  said,  as  he 
stowed  away  the  generous  offerings  ;  "  but  it'll  serve  to 
show  that  the  East  End  appreciates  their  patriotism." 
And  never  was  a  cargo  sent  on  its  way  with  a  more 


70  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

fervent  godspeed  than  that  with  which  in  due  time  the 
brave  captain  set  sail  for  Boston  town.1 

Meanwhile  there  was  sorrow  at  the  Manor  ;  for  early 
in  the  autumn,  while  the  new  house  was  still  unfinished, 
the  King's  messenger  had  summoned  the  master  to  the 
"  house  not  made  with  hands." 

1  This  bit  of  history  is  put  on  record  for  the  enlightenment  of  the  good  people  of 
Boston  who  may  never  have  chanced  to  hear  that  the  "  Bay  Colony  •'  was  indebted 
to  Long  Island  for  this  "  timeous  "  benefaction. 


WAR.  7 1 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

WAR. 

"  TT  has  come,"  said  Brewster,  walking  in  one  after- 

\  noon  without  waiting  to  knock.  It  was  spring 
again  ;  and  the  door  was  standing  wide  open,  letting  in 
both  the  sunshine  and  the  crisp  sea-breeze. 

Margaret,  who  was  at  the  spinning-wheel,  started  at 
the  strange  ring  in  his  voice,  while  her  grandfather, 
who  had  been  sitting  lost  in  thought,  rose  from  his  arm 
chair  with  a  troubled  face.  But  the  young  man,  over 
whelmed  with  the  news  he  brought,  had  suddenly  grown 
dumb. 

"What  has  come,  Lodowick?"  asked  the  girl  anxi 
ously. 

"  War"  answered  Brewster,  moistening  his  lips. 
"  Haven't  you  heard  ?  A  battle  has  been  fought  at 
Lexington.  We  haven't  yet  a  full  report  of  the  engage 
ment,  but  blood  was  shed  on  both  sides.  And  this  is 
but  the  beginning." 

The  old  man  dropped  back  into  his  chair  and  bowed 
his  head. 

"Ay,  it  is  but  the  beginning,"  he  repeated;  "and 
none  can  foretell  what  the  end  \vill  be." 

"The  end  will  be  —  freedom,    God  helping  us,"  an- 


72  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

swered  the  young  man,  with  the  solemnity  of  one  taking 
a  sacred  oath. 

"  Ah,  but  at  what  bitter  cost,  Lodowick.  I  see,  as 
in  a  vision,  the  desolated  home,  the  blighted  harvest, 
brother  fighting  against  brother,  and  fields  red  with 
blood." 

"  Better  that,  Friend  Thurston,  than  that  we  should 
consent  to  be  made  slaves." 

"Ay,  ay,  it  is  a  righteous  cause,  but  it  is  a  grievous 
thing  that  it  must  be  won  by  the  shedding  of  blood  ;  and 
we  need  to  take  counsel  of  the  Indwelling  Presence." 

The  young  man  listened  with  gentle  deference. 
Though  not  a  Quaker,  he,  too,  believed  in  the  "  In 
dwelling  Presence"  —he  had  learned  the  meaning  of 
that  mystical  phrase  in  his  boyhood,  having  been  con 
verted  under  Whitefield,  when  that  "spirit  of  flame" 
made  the  circuit  of  the  Island,  and  set  men's  hearts 
on  lire  with  the  love  of  God ;  but  at  twenty-five,  with 
lusty  lungs  and  leaping  blood,  and  nearly  six  feet  two 
of  brawn  and  sinew,  it  is  not  easy  to  keep  step  with  the 
aged. 

"Why  wait  for  counsel  when  the  way  is  already 
made  so  plain?"  he  asked. 

Before  the  old  man  could  answer,  Aaron  Neale  and 
John  Thurston,  with  their  brother-in-law,  Richard  Os- 
good,  hurried  in  :  and  the  look  on  their  faces  showed 
that  they,  too,  had  heard  the  battle-cry.  All  three  had 
served  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  and  they  would 
gladly  have  remained  loyal  to  England. 

"  But  what  can  we  do?  "  cried  Aaron,  at  a  white  heat. 


IV A  R.  73 

"England  herself  has  thrown  down  the  gauntlet,  and 
we  shall  prove  ourselves  worse  than  cowards  if  we  refuse 
to  take  it  up.  I  have  just  had  a  letter  from  John  Stark, 
who  was  with  us  in  the  campaign  under  Abercrombie ; 
and  he  says  that  the  blood  shed  at  Lexington  has  roused 
the  whole  Province,  and  that  volunteers  are  flocking  into 
Bedford  from  all  directions.  lie  himself  is  one  of  them, 
and  brave  old  Putnam,  too,  who  was  with  us  at  Crown 
Point.  Ah,  England  little  thought,  when  she  forced  us 
to  help  her  fight  her  battles  against  the  French,  that  she 
was  training  us  to  fight  our  own  battles." 

"Ay,  she  trained  us  better  than  she  knew,"  said 
Richard  Osgood,  "  and  a  fortunate  thing  it  was  for  the 
colonies." 

"If  she  had  listened  to  Chatham  and  Burke,  all  this 
might  have  been  averted,"  lamented  the  old  Quaker. 
"  She  has  lent  an  ear  to  false  counsellors." 

"  That  is  just  where  the  trouble  lies,"  answered  Aaron. 
"  Had  all  the  ministry  been  of  the  same  mind  with 
Chatham  and  Burke,  our  rights  would  have  been  re 
spected  and  our  grievances  adjusted." 

"I  am  not  sure  but  it  is  better  as  it  is,"  said  Richard 
Osgood.  "  It  had  to  come  sooner  or  later.  England 
does  not  understand  us ;  we  are  too  widely  separated ; 
and  however  willing  either  side  may  be  to  keep  on  ami 
cable  terms,  misunderstandings  are  unavoidable." 

"But  surely,  Richard,  there  might  be  some  way 
found  to  settle  these  differences,  without  resorting  to 
arms,"  protested  the  old  man. 

"  The  colonies  would  be  only  too  willing  to  adopt  con- 


74  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

cilatory  measures  if  England  would  listen  to  reason," 
answered  Richard.  "But  there  is  no  choice  left  us, 
father.  The  battle  is  on,  and  we  must  fight  it  to  the 
end." 

"Ay,  and  all  the  Hamptons  stand  ready  to  do  their 
share,"  added  Aaron.  "  Seth  Howell  says  that  every 
man  in  Bridgehampton  is  furbishing  up  his  arms  ;  and 
already  in  Southampton  men  are  mustering  to  go  to 
Boston's  help,  for  the  town  is  in  sore  straits.  Business 
is  at  an  end,  and  rich  and  poor  are  suffering  together ; 
but  they  are  determined  not  to  yield." 

Margaret,  with  her  foot  on  the  treadle,  had  listened 
with  kindling  eyes. 

"  Oh,  but  they  are  brave  !  "  she  cried. 

"Ay,  daughter;  and  when  it  comes  to  the  test,  the 
other  colonies  will  be  equally  brave,"  said  her  father. 
"The  way  in  which  they  have  indorsed  the  resolution 
of  Congress  to  enter  into  a  non-importation  agreement 
shows  to  what  extent  they  are  willing  to  deny  themselves 
for  the  public  good." 

Prudence,  who,  with  her  knitting-work  in  her  hand, 
had  come  in  while  her  brother-in-law  was  speaking, 
shook  her  needles  with  wrathful  energy. 

"Why  call  it  good,  Aaron  Neale,  when  nothing  but 
ill  can  come  of  it?"  she  asked,  in  her  sharp-keyed  voice. 
"Boston  is  setting  a  vicious  example;  and,  if  Long 
Island  follows  it,  we  shall  presently  be  in  the  same  dis 
graceful  plight.  How  are  we  going  to  live,  I'd  like  to 
know,  if  we  are  to  have  nothing  imported  from  Eng 
land?" 


WAR.  7  5 

"We  must  manufacture  what  we  need,"  answered 
Aaron.  "Times  have  changed  since  Goodman  Mor 
gan  was  sent  for  from  Southold  to  do  the  town's  weav 
ing.  We  have  so  long  done  our  own  spinning  and 
weaving  that  we  shall  not  be  troubled  in  regard  to  wear 
ing  apparel." 

"And  a  fine  spectacle  we  shall  make,  marching  to 
the  meeting-house  on  Lord's  Day  arrayed  in  homespun, 
thf  master  and  mistress  no  better  clad  than  the  slaves," 
scoffed  Prudence.  "Why  can't  the  colonies  be  content 
to  let  well  enough  alone?  We  are  too  dependent  on 
England  to  make  a  hue  and  cry  because  she  sees  fit  to 
put  a  petty  tax  on  the  good  things  she  sends  us.  My 
cousin,  Captain  Squires,  promised  to  bring  me  ten  yards 
of  lavender  satin  and  six  pairs  of  silk  hosen  the  next 
time  he  came  over ;  but  if  Congress  is  going  to  try  to 
enforce  any  such  ridiculous  measure,  I  may  as  well  give 
up  all  hope  of  getting  them." 

"Fie,  fie,  Sister  Prudence,"  remonstrated  John  Thur- 
ston,  "this  is  not  a  time  to  be  fretting  about  fineries. 
Remember  what  poor  Richard  says,  '  Silks  and  satins 
put  out  the  kitchen  fire  ; '  and  just  as  surely  will  a  han 
kering  for  them  put  out  the  fire  of  patriotism.  Old  Sam 
uel  Mulford  was  brave  enough  to  present  himself  at  the 
Court  of  Saint  James  clad  in  homespun ;  and  though  I 
am  free  to  confess  that  there  is  nothing  elegant  about  it, 
the  women  of  America,  with  such  interests  at  stake,  will 
look  fairer  to  us  in  gowns  from  our  own  looms  than  in 
the  finest  of  imported  goods." 

"In  New  York,"  said  Aaron  Neale,  "General  Put- 


76  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

nam's  wife  and  daughters  are  spending  their  time  in 
spinning  flax  for  shirts  for  the  soldiers,  —  Mrs.  Putnam 
was  an  East  End  woman,  you  remember ;  and  it  is  said 
that  at  the  South  the  women  have  pledged  themselves  to 
forego  all  imported  luxuries,  and  to  spin  and  make  their 
own  clothing." 

"Well,  I  wish  them  joy!"  sniffed  Prudence,  stalking 
primly  from  the  room ;  and  presently  Hagar  came  to 
the  door  to  say  that  supper  was  ready. 

But  the  announcement  made  scarcely  a  break  in  the 
discussion  ;  and  Prudence  had  again  to  submit  to  seeing 
her  good  things  disposed  of  by  men  too  preoccupied  to 
know  or  care  what  manner  of  food  was  put  before  them. 

"  War  !  war  !  "  Margaret  said  the  word  over  to  her 
self  in  a  vain  attempt  to  realize  the  possibility  of  its  be 
coming  something  more  than  a  mere  tradition.  Many  a 
winter  evening,  seated  on  the  wide  settle  in  the  chimney- 
corner,  she  had  listened  spellbound  to  her  father  and 
uncles  as  they  related  their  experiences  in  the  French 
and  Indian  campaigns  ;  and  the  thought  of  having  simi 
lar  scenes  enacted  in  Boston  and  its  vicinity  filled  her 
with  horror.  And  had  not  Lodowick  Brewster  said  that 
if  Boston  were  forced  to  take  up  arms  the  whole  country 
must  bleed?  And  what  was  this  that  her  father  was 
saying  about  the  East  End?  She  roused  herself  to  listen 
again. 

"There  is  no  part  of  the  coast  more  exposed  to  the 
enemy,  and  nowhere  will  they  find  such  herds  and  flocks 
to  tempt  them.  Let  them  once  gain  a  foothold,  and  we 
shall  be  powerless  to  resist  them.  And  if  it  be  true  that 


WAR.  77 

they  can  get  no  provender  from  the  country  about  Bos 
ton,  they  will  very  soon  be  looking  elsewhere  for  sup 
plies." 

As  they  returned  to  the  keeping-room  a  sudden  clang 
of  the  iron  knocker  brought  an  expectant  look  to  every 
face. 

"It  is  Priest  Buell,"  said  Margaret,  recognizing  the 
quick,  energetic  rap. 

Something  in  the  girl's  eyes,  as  she  threw  open  the 
do<*r,  made  the  minister  lay  his  hand  on  her  shoulder. 

"  '  When  ye  shall  hear  of  wars  and  rumors  of  wars, 
be  ye  not  troubled,'  "  he  quoted  gently. 

"  Come  in,  Mr.  Buell,  come  in,"  cried  Aaron  Neale. 
"  You  are  just  the  man  we  want.'' 

"  It  is  a  day  of  evil  tidings,  Friend  Buell,"  said  the 
old  Quaker,  grasping  his  hand. 

"But  what  seems  evil  now  may  eventually  prove 
good,"  responded  Priest  Buell.  "And  meanwhile,  as  I 
was  just  saying  to  Margaret,  we  must  not  be  troubled  by 
these  rumors." 

"Nay,  it  is  the  lack  of  definite  knowledge  that  is 
troubling  us,"  answered  John  Thurston.  "  It  makes 
one  long  to  be  able  to  annihilate  distance,  and  see  with 
one's  own  eyes  how  matters  are  going  in  Boston." 

A  few  minutes  later  Silas  Post  dropped  in. 

He  was  a  rugged-looking  fellow  ;  but  he  walked  with 
a  crutch,  an  injury  received  while  harpooning  a  whale 
having  left  him  lame  for  life. 

"Course  you've  all  heard  the  news,"  he  remarked, 
taking  the  chair  that  Margaret  offered  him,  and  setting 


78  AN  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

his  crutch  savagely  between  his  knees.  ' '  Tell  you  what, 
it  makes  me  grit  my  teeth  to  think  I  can't  do  any  thing 
to  help  the  cause  along.  They  say  'Zek'el  Mulford's 
goin'  right  to  work  to  git  up  a  company,  an'  I'd  join  it 
to-morrer  if  it  wasn't  for  this  blasted  stick  that  I'd  hev  to 
carry  with  me." 

"  Tut,  tut,  Silas  !  that  stick  is  too  good  a  friend  to  be 
maligned  in  that  way,"  said  Priest  Buell.  "Be  true  to 
your  name,  and  content  yourself  to  stand  at  your  post. 
The  probability  is  that  there'll  be  few  enough  left  at  best 
for  a  home  guard,  so  many  are  impatient  to  be  off.  I 
hear  that  Abram  Rogers  of  Scuttle  Hole  and  Jesse  llal- 
sey  of  Southampton,  with  two  or  three  others,  have  al 
ready  started  for  Boston  with  the  purpose  of  enlisting ; 
and  that  Elias  Pelletreau  and  his  brother  John  are  pre 
paring  to  follow  them,  and  Tom  Halsey  and  his  brother 
Abram." 

"  Oh  !   there'll  be  no  holding  back,"  said  Thurston. 

Prudence,  coming  in  just  then,  looking  prim  and  stiff 
in  her  purple  gown  and  high-crowned  cap,  made  a  little 
break. 

"  How  is  Jerusha?"  she  asked,  when  she  had  courte- 
sied  to  Priest  Buell,  and  seated  herself  with  her  knit 
ting. 

"Fairly  well,  thank  you,  Mrs.  Golby,"  answered  the 
minister,  "bodily,  but  sorely  perplexed  in  mind  regard 
ing  the  Manor ;  for,  should  war  be  declared,  she  would 
be  obliged  to  abandon  it." 

"  Not  if  she  is  wise  enough  to  be  loyal,"  said  Prudence, 
quickly. 


WAR.  79 

' '  Oh  !  she  is  loyal  through  and  through  —  to  America," 
responded  Mr.  Buell,  his  keen  eyes  twinkling;  "and 
she  has  no  wish  to  see  her  sheep  and  cattle  fall  into  the 
enemy's  hands." 

"It's  not  strange  that  she  is  troubled  about  them," 
said  Aaron  Neale.  "  Even  if  they  were  removed  to 
Montauk,  they  would  still  be  in  danger." 

An  animated  discussion  as  to  the  best  measures  to  be 
adopted  for  the  protection  of  the  stock  on  the  Meadows 
ensued  ;  and  Prudence,  at  last,  thrusting  her  needles  into 
the  ball  of  blue  yarn  from  which  she  had  been  knitting, 
and  intimating  in  pantomime  to  Margaret  that  it  was 
bedtime,  withdrew  in  grim  silence. 

Margaret,  though  she  had  no  wish  to  go,  rose  noise 
lessly,  hoping  to  slip  out  unnoticed. 

"  If  it  were  not  for  the  likelihood  of  being  needed 
here,  I  should  start  to-morrow,"  Lodowick  Brewster  was 
saying.  But  when  she  reached  the  door  he  stood  hold 
ing  it  open  for  her,  with  a  gentle  "good-night"  in  his 
serious  eves. 

j 

"  Needed  here  !  "  she  repeated  to  herself.  "  Of  course 
he  will  be.  What  would  Miss  Frances  and  Debby  do 
without  him?  And  what  would  become  of  his  profes 
sion,  for  which  he  has  been  studying  so  diligently?" 

On  leaving  college  the  young  man  had,  for  a  time, 
partly  from  love  of  teaching,  but  chiefly  to  piece  out  a 
somewhat  limited  income,  taken  charge  of  the  village 
school ;  but  the  death  of  a  wealthy  relative,  who  was 
so  considerate  as  to  make  him  his  heir,  having  left  him 
at  liberty  to  follow  his  bent,  he  had  chosen  law  for  a 


SO  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

vocation,  and  was  expecting  to  be  admitted  shortly  to  the 
bar.  But  Margaret  knew  very  well  that  in  an  hour  like 
this  his  country's  need  would  be  his  first  thought ;  and 
she  went  up-stairs  with  a  new  fear  clutching  at  her 
heart. 


BUNKER  HILL.  8 1 


CHAPTER   IX. 

BUNKER    HILL. 

IT  was  several  weeks  before  the  particulars  of  the  bat 
tle  of  Lexington  reached  the  East  End,  and  they 
were  still  being  fiercely  discussed,  when  the  patriotism  of 
the  people  was  put  to  the  test  by  the  necessity  of  taking 
action  on  the  articles  of  association  that  had  been  recom 
mended  by  the  Continental  Congress. 

"Now,  then,"  said  Aaron  Neale,  as  he  was  about 
starting  for  the  meeting  that  had  been  called  for  signa 
tures,  "we  shall  soon  know  whether  or  not  there  are 
any  among  us  in  sympathy  with  the  enemy." 

"And  why  may  not  we  women  sign?"  asked  Mar 
garet.  "Truly  I  see  no  reason  why  we  should  be 
denied  the  privilege  of  putting  ourselves  on  record  as 
faithful  Americans,  any  more  than  our  fathers  and 
brothers." 

"  Thee  need  not  be  troubled  on  that  score,  little  one," 
said  her  grandfather.  "If  the  contest  goes  on  as  it  has 
begun,  the  women  of  our  land  will  not  lack  opportunity 
to  prove  their  patriotism." 

"  Go  to  your  wheel,  child,"  said  her  father,  stooping 
to  kiss  her,  with  his  hat  in  his  hand.  "It  is  enough  for 
us  men  to  have  to  put  our  heads  into  the  lion's  jaws." 


82  AH  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

But  Margaret  was  too  restless  to  settle  down  to  spin 
ning.  She  followed  her  father  to  the  gate,  and  watched 
him  half  enviously  as  he  joined  Squire  Wickham  and 
Burnet  Miller  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.  The 
roses  at  either  end  of  the  porch  were  in  full  bloom,  with 
here  and  there  a  cluster  that  had  passed  its  prime ;  and 
seeing  that  they  needed  attention,  she  began  clipping  off 
those  that  were  faded  with  the  scissors  that  hung  at  her 
belt.  Happily  her  aunt  was  not  at  home  ;  and  the  girl, 
in  her  joyous  sense  of  freedom,  was  presently  hum 
ming,  - 

"'Fairest  isle,   all  isles  excelling.'" 

The  air  was  flooded  with  sweetness,  the  scent  of  roses 
and  clover  mingling  with  the  fragrance  blown  from  the 
fields  where  the  new-mown  hay  lay  in  long  green  bil 
lows  ;  on  the  margin  of  the  fields  was  a  fringe  of  daisies, 
white  as  sea-foam,  that  the  mowers  had  spared,  and 
there  was  just  wind  enough  to  keep  them  swaying ; 
somewhere  overhead  a  song-sparrow  was  trilling,  while 
the  surf  beyond  the  dunes  was  breaking  \vith  a  soft 
crooning  measure  that  seemed  to  prophesy  only  peace 
and  safety. 

"June  is  so  beautiful!"  sighed  the  girl,  lifting  her 
face  to  the  sky.  "  It  would  be  hard  for  men  to  have  to 
fight  on  a  day  like  this  !  Grandpa  is  right  about  it, 
there  ought  to  be  some  other  way.  Oh,  but  I  hope 
every  one  will  sign  the  paper  ! " 

It  was  too  pleasant  to  go  in-doors ;  and  while  she  lin 
gered,  a  grotesque  little  figure  in  a  tow  frock  came 
rolling  and  tumbling  toward  her. 


BUNKER  HILL.  83 

"  Yo'  Rick,  git  up  dar,  an'  stop  a-walkin'  on  yo' 
head,"  called  Hagar,  from  the  kitchen  door. 

"  Ya'as'm,  I'se  a-doin'  ter,"  said  the  boy,  turning  a 
somersault  that  landed  him  at  Margaret's  feet.  "Turn 
feed  de  tolt,  my  dirl,"  he  piped,  pulling  at  her  skirts; 
"  p'ease  turn." 

"  What  a  coaxer  you  are,  Rick  !"  laughed  Margaret, 
catching  him  by  the  hand  and  starting  for  the  pasture. 

Lord  Lion  came  prancing  to  the  fence  with  a  soft 
whinny ;  and  Margaret,  yielding  to  Rick's  plea  for  a 
ride,  had  just  helped  the  little  fellow  to  mount  when 
Lodowick  Brewster  joined  them. 

"O  Lodowick!"  cried  the  girl,  letting  Rick  slip  to 
the  ground,  "  did  everybody  sign  it?" 

"Yes,  indeed;  they  came  forward  to  a  man,  and 
pledged  themselves  '  never  to  become  slaves,'  two  hun 
dred  and  sixty-three  names  in  all." 

"And  Priest  Buell,  did  he,  too,  sign?" 

"  Oh  !  he  not  only  signed  it,  but  declared  himself 
ready  to  shoulder  arms,  if  necessary,  for  the  defence  of 
the  town.  Priest  Buell  never  does  anything  by  halves. 
And  old  Assemblyman  Miller  was  equally  patriotic. 
'Twas  a  grand  meeting.  They  have  had  one  in  South 
ampton  too  ;  and  even  those  who  at  first  were  inclined 
to  think  that  the  colonies  were  unwise  to  rebel,  came 
out  boldly  and  put  down  their  names.  Zebulon  Howell 
was  one  of  them.  But  I  had  well-nigh  forgotten  my 
errand.  Deborah  wants  you  to  spend  the  afternoon 
with  her." 

"  Oh,  thank  you  !  "  she  answered,  eagerly,  feeling  for 


84  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE 

the  time  quite  her  own  mistress;  "it  is  what  I  had  al 
ready  had  half  a  mind  to  do.  But  here  come  the  others, 
and  you  must  stay  to  dinner." 

"Ah,  Lodowick  !  "  cried  Aaron  Neale.  "We  have 
been  looking  for  you.  The  committee  have  called  a 
meeting  for  this  afternoon,  and  you  must  not  fail  to  be 
there." 

"I  have  promised  Isaac  Conklin  to  go  with  him  to 
Amagansett  after  dinner,"  said  Lodowick  ;  but  I  think 
I  can  get  back  in  time  for  the  meeting." 

"  Stay  and  eat  with  us,  and  we  can  talk  the  matter 
over,"  urged  John  Thurston.  "It  is  in  regard  to  the 
stock  on  the  Meadows.  Tell  Hagar  to  make  haste  with 
the  dinner,  Margaret." 

But  Hagar  already  had  dinner  on  the  table. 

"  Where  is  Prudence?"  asked  Aaron  Neale,  as  they 
seated  themselves,  "  and  Benjamin?" 

"  Aunt  Prudence  wanted  Ben  to  go  to  the  Harbor  to 
get  her  some  sewing-silk  and  cinnamon,  and  she  went 
with  him  as  far  as  Sagabonack." 

"  In  the  wagon?  "  asked  John  Thurston. 

"No;  on  horseback,  uncle.  She  rode  behind  him 
on  the  pillion,"  answered  Margaret.  She  had  a  suspi 
cion  that  her  aunt  had  planned  the  journey  mainly  to 
keep  Ben  from  going  to  the  meeting,  but  she  kept  it  to 
herself. 

"Prudence  is  not  disposed  to  forego  any  of  her  lux 
uries,"  remarked  Thurston;  "  and  I'm  afraid  there  are 
others  of  the  same  mind." 

"There  is  a  fair  prospect  of  their  having  to  forego 


BUNKER  HILL  85 

them,  whether  they  will  or  not,"  said  Aaron,  "unless 
England  comes  speedily  to  her  senses." 

Meanwhile  the  dinner  was  being  eaten  in  haste. 

"What,  Indian  pudding,  Madge?"  said  Thurston. 

"Yes,  and  some  of  Hagar's  hot  gingerbread,  Uncle 
John." 

"Well,  they'll  have  to  wait;  no  time  for  extras  to 
day.  We  must  be  expeditious." 

A^  they  rose  from  the  table  Brewster  turned  to  Mar 
garet. 

"Why  not  go  now?  "  he  asked.  "Deborah  will  be  all 
the  happier  to  have  you  come  early." 

Margaret  was  very  well  pleased  with  this  proposi 
tion,  and  went  at  once  to  make  herself  ready. 

They  had  but  stepped  from  the  porch,  wrhen  a  boy 
on  horseback,  with  a  woman  bouncing  on  the  pillion 
behind  him,  came  dashing  down  the  street. 

"  Why,  it's  Ben  !  "  exclaimed  Margaret.  "And  hark  ! 
what  is  he  crying?" 

"  News  from  Boston  !  'Nother  big  battle  !  "  shouted 
the  self-appointed  herald,  galloping  past.  But  at  a  call 
from  Brewster  he  wheeled  about.  He  had  quite  for 
gotten  his  mother. 

"Well,  I'm  thankful  to  get  here  alive,"  gasped  Pru 
dence,  as  Brewster  helped  her  down.  "Benjamin  is 
beside  himself." 

"Are  you  sure  about  the  battle,  Ben?"  asked  the 
young  man,  too  much  dismayed  to  give  Mistress  Pru 
dence  any  further  attention.  "Where  did  you  get  the 
news?" 


'86  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"At  the  Harbor.  A  sloop  just  in  from  New  London 
brought  a  letter  from  Jesse  Halsey.  He  and  some  other 
fellow  from  Southampton,  it  seems,  left  their  horses  at 
the  Harbor,  and,  taking  a  boat  to  New  London,  walked 
the  rest  of  the  way  to  Boston,  and  got  there  just  in  time 
to  see  the  end  of  the  battle.  'Twas  at  Banker's  Hill,  or 
Bunker  Hill,  some  such  name.  They  say  they  had  a 
tremenjous  time.  Over  four  hundred  Americans  killed  ! 
They  fought  like  tigers,  and  the  British  lost  twice  that 
number;  but  at  last  the  Americans  had  to  retreat." 

"  My  God!  it  is  terrible,"  gasped  Brewster.  "  One 
minute,  Ben.  Did  you  hear  "  But  Ben  had  dug  his 
heels  into  his  horse's  ribs,  and  was  already  out  of  hear 
ing. 

"Oh,  it  can't  be  true!"  said  Margaret.  "Ben  is 
only  a  boy,  and  a  giddy  one  at  that.  It  would  be  noth 
ing  strange  if  he  had  the  whole  story  wrong  end  first." 

"  Indeed,  it  seems  beyond  belief,"  said  Brewster. 

At  that  moment  Big  Sam  came  loping  by. 

"Big  fight  in  Bos'on.  Heap  o'  folks  git  kilt,"  he 
said  placidly. 

While  they  were  questioning  him  Isaac  Conklin  drove 
up. 

"Jump  in,  Lodowick,"  he  said;  "  it's  time  we  were 
off." 

"  But  haven't  you  heard?"  cried  Brewster.  "  There's 
been  another  battle,  and  over  four  hundred  of  our  men 
were  killed." 

"  No,  no,  Lodowick  !  God  forbid  !  Some  one  is  try 
ing  to  hoax  us." 


BUNKER   HILL  8/ 

"  Ben  Thurston  brought  the  news  from  the  Harbor, 
and  Big  Sam  confirms  it.  If  it  were  not  for  going  with 
you  to  Amagansett,  I'd  ride  at  once  to  the  Harbor,  and 
see  if  anything  more  definite  can  be  learned." 

"Oh!  don't  wait  for  that,"  cried  Conklin.  "Go, 
and  God  grant  that  you  may  find  it  a  false  report !  " 

"  Oh,  the  horror  of  it !  "  sighed  Margaret,  quickening 
her  pace  to  keep  step  with  Brewster,  who  was  striding 
ahead  with  set  lips  and  flaming  eyes.  And  for  the 
remainder  of  the  way  they  walked  in  silence. 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Brewster,  as  he  opened  the  gate  for 
her,  "it  will  be  as  well  to  say  nothing  to  Frances  and 
Deborah  about  it  just  yet.  Poor  little  Deb  !  she  is  feel 
ing  rather  down-hearted  these  days  ;  for  Will  Braydon 
has  written  her  that  he  has  enlisted,  and  the  news  of 
another  battle  would  no  doubt  make  her  anxious  about 
him.  You  might  tell  them,  though,  that  I've  had  to  go 
to  the  Harbor  on  business.  Good-by,  Marjorie,  good-by  ! 
But  wait,  I  must  have  some  water  before  I  start.  Come 
with  me  to  the  well."  On  reaching  the  kitchen-porch 
he  took  from  the  little  shelf  beside  the  door  a  cup  made 
from  the  shell  of  a  cocoanut.  The  well,  with  its  long 
sweep,  \vas  a  short  distance  beyond. 

"  No,  you  drink  first,  sweetheart,"  he  said,  having 
filled  the  cup  from  the  dripping  bucket.  And  when 
Margaret,  after  a  hasty  swallow,  handed  it  back  to 
him,  he  lilted  it  gravely  to  his  own  lips.  It  was  not 
the  first  time  that  lie  had  filled  it  for  her,  though  Mar- 

c? 

garet,  he  told  himself,  had  doubtless  forgotten  it. 

"  If  ever  I  go  to  war,  that  cup  goes  with  me,"  he  said, 


88  /IN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

giving  it  to  'her  to  put  back  in  its  niche.  "  Good-by 
again,  sweetheart." 

The  girl,  watching  him  as  he  hurried  to  the  barn  to 
saddle  his  horse,  felt  her  courage  suddenly  fail  her.  If 
this  report  that  Ben  had  brought  proved  true,  it  would 
make  war  a  certainty,  and  her  father  and  her  Uncle 
John  would  have  to  become  soldiers  again.  And  Lodo- 
wick  !  Lodowick,  too,  would  go.  The  thought  took  away 
her  breath  ;  and  it  was  through  a  mist  of  tears  that  she 
watched  him  lead  out  Rex,  his  big  brown  horse,  mount 
him,  and  dash  off  without  even  a  backward  glance. 

But  who  was  it  coming  up  the  road,  to  whom,  in  spite 
of  his  haste,  he  was  making  that  courtly  bow?  Oh, 
Betty,  Cousin  Betty  !  And  she  ran  to  the  gate  to  wait 
for  her,  glad  of  a  delay  that  gave  her  time  to  dry  her 
eyes  before  going  in. 

"Have  you  heard  the  news?"  asked  Betty,  too  ab 
sorbed  in  watching  the  vanishing  horseman  to  notice 
Margaret's  wet  lashes.  She  carried  on  her  arm  a  wicker 
basket  filled  to  the  brim  with  blush  roses,  and  her  cheeks 
matched  their  delicate  flush. 

"  Sh-sh  !  "  cautioned  Margaret,  "we  are  not  to  speak 
of  it  till  he  gets  back.  It  may  be  a  false  report." 

"I'm  afraid  not,"  said  Betty.  "We  met  Deacon  Cook, 
from  Southampton,  on  our  way  here ;  and  he  says  that, 
just  before  he  started,  Captain  Skidmore  came  riding 
post-haste  from  Jamaica  with  the  news.  The  people 
are  wild  about  it  the  whole  length  of  the  Island." 

"  Oh  !  have  you  come?  "  cried  Deborah,  flying  into  the 
entry,  and  throwing  her  arms  around  Margaret.  "  But 


BUNKER  HILL.  89 

where  is  Lodo?  I  thought  he  was  coming  back  with 
you." 

Margaret  explained  briefly. 

"But  here  is  Cousin  Betty  to  take  his  place,"  she 
said. 

Betty,  who  had  lingered  at  the  door  for  one  more 
look  in  the  direction  Rex  and  his  rider  had  taken,  came 
forward  quickly,  and  gave  Deborah  her  roses  with  a 
kiss. 

'*'Oh,  how  sweet!"  said  Deborah,  burying  her  pretty 
face  in  the  pink  mass.  "And  how  good  you  were  to 
come." 

"Oh,  that  was  pure  selfishness!  They  are  picking 
geese  at  our  house  to-day  ;  and  when  Uncle  Joel,  who 
was  going  to  Bridgehampton,  offered  to  bring  me  over 
and  stop  for  me  on  his  way  back,  I  didn't  need  to  be 
asked  twice." 

Deborah  laughed.  "  I  don't  wonder  that  you  wanted 
to  escape.  Ours  were  picked  a  day  or  two  ago,  and 
the  quacking  set  me  nearly  wild.  It  is  almost  as  bad  as 
the  bleating  of  sheep  in  shearing-time." 

"Poor  things  !  no  wonder  they  make  an  outcry,"  said 
Margaret.  "  But  there's  no  help  for  it.  What  should 
we  do  without  the  wool?  And  father  says  that,  if  there 
is  any  likelihood  of  war,  we  shall  have  to  be  more  sav 
ing  than  ever  of  our  feathers,  for  all  the  pillows  we  can 
make  will  be  needed  for  the  soldiers." 

"  But  does  he  think  there  is  any  real  danger?"  asked 
Deborah,  quickly.  "  Lodo  seems  to  think  that  England 
is  too  sensible  to  declafe  war  against  her  own  colonies." 


9O  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

' '  It  looks  now  as  if  the  colonies  themselves  might  declare 
it, "said  Margaret.  "  I  am  sure  they  have  good  cause." 

"Oh!  I  don't  know,"  sighed  Betty,  with  a  shudder. 
"  War  is  so  terrible  !  " 

While  they  were  talking  a  shaggy  Newfoundland  rose 
up  and  shook  himself ;  but  he  wore  a  dejected  look. 

"  Poor  Neb,  he  misses  his  master,"  said  Deborah. 
Whereupon  both  Betty  and  Margaret  began  to  caress 
the  old  fellow. 

"  Oh,  the  roses  !  "  cried  a  soft  musical  voice,  as  Deb 
orah,  with  the  basket  in  her  hand,  opened  a  door  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  room. 

"  Betty  brought  them,"  said  Deborah  ;  "  and  here  she 
is  herself,  with  Margaret  Neale.  They  have  come  to 
take  tea  with  us." 

"  Supper,  my  dear,"  corrected  the  invalid,  giving  to 
each  of  the  visitors  a  delicate,  blue-veined  hand.  "  We 
will  have  no  more  teas  till  the  tax  is  lifted." 

"  Happily  there  is  no  tax  on  roses,  or  they,  too, 
would  be  banished,  Sister  Frances  is  such  a  patriot," 
said  Deborah.  "There!  could  anything  be  lovelier?" 
she  asked,  placing  on  a  little  stand  beside  the  bed  a 
great  blue  bowl  filled  to  overflowing  with  the  fragrant 
pink  clusters. 

"They  are  loveliness  itself,"  said  the  invalid,  lean 
ing  over  to  inhale  their  sweetness.  "  Elizabeth  is  gen 
erous  with  her  roses.  If  they  were  like  those  in  Saint 
Elizabeth's  basket,  some  one  might  have  to  go  hungrv." 

"Not  here,"  answered  Deborah,  with  a  light  laugh. 
"  Mam'  Zany  baked  five  loaves  of  rye-and-Indian  this 


BUNKER  HILL.  91 

morning,  so  we  can  feast  on  roses  with  no  fear  of  a  lack 
of  bread." 

"  In  case  of  war,"  said  Margaret,  coming  back  to 
the  subject  in  spite  of  herself,  "perhaps  we'd  be  glad 
to  have  our  roses  turn  to  bread ;  for  father  says  that,  if 
there  should  be  a  sudden  call  for  troops,  there  might  not 
be  men  enough  left  to  harvest  the  crops.  But  if  that 
should  happen,"  she  added  decisively,  "we  women 
would  do  the  harvesting." 

"What,  work  in  the  fields?"  cried  Betty,  looking  up 
aghast  from  the  dainty  bit  of  embroidery  on  which  she 
was  centring  her  energies.  "  Oh,  we  should  never  be 
equal  to  that !  " 

"  We  don't  know  what  we  are  equal  to,  my  dear,  un 
til  the  necessity  is  laid  on  us,"  said  Miss  Frances,  softly 
stroking  Betty's  hair.  "  '  As  thy  days,'  remember,  '  so 
shall  thy  strength  be.'  ' 

"  Oh  !  don't  let  us  talk  any  more  about  war,"  entreated 
Deborah.  "Margaret,  dear,  do  sing  us  something." 

Margaret,  who  had  taken  out  her  knitting,  hesitated 
a  minute  ;  and  her  ball  of  yarn,  slipping  to  the  floor,  be 
came  the  prey  of  Deborah's  black  kitten.  "  What  shall 
it  be?"  she  asked.  "  '  My  Name  is  Robert  Kidd  as  I 
Sailed,'  or  'Cruel  Barbara  Allen'  ?  Wait,  I  have  it." 
And  in  her  clear,  bird-like  soprano  she  sang,  — 

"  For   folded  flocks  and   fruitful   plains, 
The  shepherd's  and  the  farmer's  gains, 

Our  Island  all  the   world   outvies; 
And  joy  as  in  Arcadia  reigns 

Beneath  our  glad,  health-giving  skies. 


92  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Fairest  Isle,  all  isles  excelling, 

Home  of  hearts  both  leal  and  brave, 

God  above,  when  war  clouds  darken, 
From  the  foe  our  Island  save." 

When  the  song  ended  Miss  Frances  was  shading  her 
eyes  with  her  hand. 

"  If  I  were  not  familiar  with  some  of  the  lines,"  she 
said,  "I  should  be  almost  tempted  to  think  it  your  own 
composition." 

"Oh,  no,  indeed!"  exclaimed  Margaret,  stooping  to 
pick  up  her  ball.  "  I  heard  father  reciting  the  poem 
one  day,  and  it  seemed  to  me  so  well  adapted  to  our  own 
Island  that  I  changed  one  or  two  of  the  lines  and  made 
a  song  of  it.  But  I  didn't  mean  to  have  it  end  in  just 
that  way." 

"It  could  hardly  have  a  better  ending,  my  dear. 
And  for  the  rest  of  it,  though  Master  John  Dryden  might 
not  thank  you  for  making  the  changes,  our  Island  well 
deserves  the  tribute." 

"  I  am  sure  there  can  be  no  fairer  island  anywhere," 
said  Margaret;  "  and  its  bays  and  harbors,  father  says, 
are  among  the  finest  in  the  world." 

"  But  it  is  a  lonesome  spot,"  protested  Betty,  who  had 
spent  a  winter  in  New  York,  and  had  a  hankering  for 
city  gayeties  ;  "it  is  so  far  from  everything  —  so  shut 
away." 

"Ah,  child,  in  times  like  these,"  said  the  invalid, 
"we  may  be  thankful  to  be  shut  away,  'far  from  the 
madding  crowd.'  By  the  way,  I  wonder  if  you  have 
seen  the  '  Elegy '  ?  Cousin  Annie  Brewster  has  just 


BUNKER  HILL.  93 

sent  me  a  copy  published  in  London.  Let  me  read  you 
a  page  or  two."  And  from  under  her  pillow  Miss 
Frances  drew  out  a  little  book,  carefully  folded  in  a 
cambric  handkerchief.  "  Listen  to  this.  It  is  like  a 
picture." 

A  new  book  was  a  rarity,  and  to  hear  Miss  Frances 
read  was  better  than  listening  to  a  harpsichord. 

Clear  and  sweet  fell  the  rhythmic  words  that  still  June 
day,  and  the  three  girls  in  the  straight,  high-backed 
chairs  hearkened  with  rapt  faces. 

"It  is  a  whole  gallery  of  pictures,"  was  Margaret's 
comment,  when,  with  the  stanza  from  which  she  had 
quoted,  Miss  Frances  came  to  a  stop. 

"Ay,  and  some  of  them,"  said  Miss  Frances,  "  seem 
very  applicable  to  our  own  little  hamlet,  our  Maidstone 
by  the  sea.  Dear  old  Maidstone  !  What  a  pity  that  the 
forefathers  did  not  keep  the  good  old  name  !  " 

"  It's  not  too  late  to  change  it,"  Deborah  declared. 
"  Maidstone  is  so  much  prettier,  and  there  are  so  many 
Hamptons.  Frances  says  that  our  grandmother  always 
called  it  Maidstone." 

"Yes;  her  family  came  from  Maidstone,  in  Kent 
County,  England,"  answered  Miss  Frances;  "and  she 
never  tired  of  telling  the  stories  she  had  heard  from  her 
mother  about  the  old  home  on  the  banks  of  the  Med- 
way." 

"  No  doubt  most  of  us  have  relatives  there,  and  in 
fact  all  over  England,"  said  Margaret;  "  and  it  makes 
it  doubly  sad  that  there  should  be  any  disagreement 
between  the  two  countries." 


94  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Miss  Frances  laid  her  hand  lovingly  on  Margaret's. 

"When  a  principle  is  at  stake,  those  nearest  and 
dearest  are  often  forced  to  disagree,"  said  the  invalid. 
"Whatever  comes,  kinship  must  not  make  us  blind  to 
duty." 

"  I  wish  Lodo  would  come,"  said  Deborah,  going  to 
the  window.  "  Supper  is  ready  and  waiting,  but  we 
don't  want  to  eat  without  him.  I  don't  see  what  is  keep 
ing  him." 

"  Oh  !  I  am  sure  he  will  be  here  soon,"  said  Marga 
ret,  trying  to  speak  cheerfully.  And  she  said  the  same 
when  at  last,  reluctantly,  they  seated  themselves  at 
the  table.  But  when,  an  hour  later,  Mr.  Joel  Osgood, 
returning  from  Bridgehainpton,  stopped  for  Betty,  he 
had  not  yet  come  ;  and  Betty,  looking  back  as  they  drove 
away,  was  guiltily  conscious  of  begrudging  Margaret 
the  privilege  of  waiting.  But  Margaret,  too,  though  she 
stayed  till  sundown,  had  to  go  without  seeing  him. 

As  she  hurried  homeward  in  the  twilight,  she  heard 
at  intervals  the  tinkle  of  cow-bells  ;  and  as  the  lowing 
cattle  passed  her,  their  breath  sweet  with  the  scent  of 
milk  and  clover,  she  found  herself  mechanically  repeat 
ing  the  words  of  the  "  Elegy."  The  grass  by  the  way 
side  was  lush  and  green  ;  and  the  cows,  in  no  haste  to 
reach  the  barnyard,  made  frequent  stops  to  crop  it,  in 
spite  of  the  proddings  of  the  barefooted  boys  behind 
them.  Here  and  there  the  children  were  having  an 
after-supper  game  of  tag,  and  in  the  village  pond  the 
ducks  and  geese  were  taking  their  evening  swim.  What 
a  peaceful  scene  it  was,  and  how  unlikely  that  its  peace- 


BUNKER  HILL.  95 

fulness  would   ever  be  broken  by  the   rude   alarms  of 

war ! 

She  thought  that,  before  going  home,  she  would  call 
at  the  parsonage,  —  it  would  be  a  relief  to  have  Priest 
Buell's  opinion  concerning  the  truth  of  the  tidings  ;  but 
she  changed  her  mind.  It  was  not  worth  while  to  talk 
about  it  until  something  more  definite  was  known.  If 
she  could  only  have  waited  for  Lodowick  ! 

Suddenly,  as  she  was  passing  the  burying-plot  —  the 
same  that  to-day  lies  like  a  huge  coffin  in  the  centre  of 
the  ancient  street  —  behind  her  came  the  sound  of  hoofs, 
and  the  next  minute  Lodowick  Brewster  was  at  her  side. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  answering  the  question  that  she  had 
not  the  courage  to  put  into  words,  "•  it  is  only  too  true. 
Two  or  three  of  the  East  End  men  were  in  the  battle,  and 
Abram  Rogers  of  Scuttlehole  was  killed.  Over  four 
hundred  of  our  army  were  killed  and  wounded.  Charles- 
town  is  in  ashes,  and  no  one  knows  how  soon  Boston 
may  share  its  fate.  But  the  enemy's  loss  was  over  a 
thousand,  including  a  number  of  officers  ;  and  though 
our  troops  were  forced  at  last  to  retreat,  it  is  in  reality  a 
victory.  Ah,  it  was  a  grievous  mistake  the  British  made 
the  day  they  marched  to  Concord  !  "  And  straightening 
himself  in  the  saddle  with  the  look  of  one  whose  heart 
was  hot  within  him,  he  gave  Rex  the  reins,  and  dashed  on. 

Margaret,  who  had  listened  in  silence,  steadied  her 
self  against  the  graveyard  hedge,  and  gazed  after  him 
with  straining  eyes.  A  moment  later  a  thick  fog  had 
enveloped  the  village,  and  blotted  out  horse  and  rider. 

War  !  war  !    The  fog  deepened  till  she  could  scarcely 


96  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

see  across  the  street,  and  she  stood  like  one  in  a  dream, 
everything  seemed  so  unreal. 

A  cold  nose  thrusting  itself  into  her  hand  served  to 
dispel  the  mental  fog. 

"O  Lion!  Lion!"  she  sobbed,  with  her  arms  about 
the  furry  neck. 

"Ho,  you  there,  Meg!"  shouted  a  boyish  voice. 
"Might  have  known  it  by  the  way  the  colt  took  to 
his  heels.  I'd  just  turned  Snowball  into  the  lot,  and 
was  starting  to  lead  His  Lordship  round  to  the  watering- 
trough,  when  all  of  a  sudden  he  pricked  up  his  ears  and 
was  off  like  a  shot." 

"Dear  old  Lion,  you  missed  me,  didn't  you?"  said 
the  girl,  stroking  his  head. 

"Oh,  don't  stop  to  pet  him,  Meg!"  entreated  Ben. 
"There's  to  be  a  meeting  to-night  at  the  school-house, 
and  I  want  to  be  there.  Come  on,  you  rascal  !" 

But  Lion  refused  to  leave  his  mistress. 

"What  is  the  meeting  for?"  asked  Margaret,  trying, 
with  her  hand  on  Lion's  mane,  to  keep  up  with  Ben. 

"Oh!  I  don't  know.  Something  about  a  petition  to 
Congress  to  protect  the  stock  on  the  Meadows.  Tell 
you,  Meg,  things  are  getting  exciting.  To-morrow's 
general  training-day,  and  the  colonel's  ordered  every 
boy  that  can  handle  a  musket  to  be  there.  Say,  did 
you  know  that  that  fellow  that  was  down  here  last  sum 
mer  buying  cattle,  pretending  that  he  was  going  to  ship 
'em  to  the  West  Indies,  took  'em  straight  to  Boston  to 
make  into  beef  for  the  British?  " 

"Ben!" 


BUNKER  HILL.  97 

"  Fact.  And  he's  been  back  for  more  ;  and  when  he 
found  that  he  couldn't  get  any  of  the  Montauk  stock,  he 
tried  to  persuade  Colonel  Gardiner  to  supply  him  from 
the  Manor  —  you  know  the  colonel's  one  of  the  guar- 
dccns  for  John  and  Davy  —  but  the  colonel,  I  guess, 
had  a  suspicion  of  what  he  was  up  to ;  at  all  events,  he 
wouldn't  let  him  have  any,  and  Hodson  had  to  go  back 
with  his  finger  in  his  mouth.  Served  him  right  too. 
Eh,  but  he's  a  tricky  one.  He's  'bad  Injun'  through 
and*through  ;  and  Big  Sam  says  that  '  bad  Injuns  '  when 
they  get  to  the  next  world  will  have  to  go  to  carrying 
water  in  a  wicker  basket,  and  making  canoes  with  a 
round  stone.  Be  a  tough  job  for  Hodson." 

"  I'm  glad  he  didn't  get  the  cattle,"  said  Margaret,  too 
preoccupied  to  give  any  thought  to  Big  Sam's  theory  con 
cerning  future  punishment;  "but,  O  Ben!  isn't  it  ter 
rible  to  think  of  all  those  brave  men  killed  at  Bunker's 
Hill?  And  it  isn't  only  our  own  people  that  suffer. 
Think  how  many  homes  in  England  were  made  desolate 
that  day  !  Oh,  it  is  cruel  for  Parliament  to  drive  the 
people  to  war  !  " 

"What  does  Parliament  care?  If  they  had  to  do  the 
fighting  themselves,  maybe  they  wouldn't  be  so  keen  to 
pick  a  quarrel  with  us.  But  they'll  get  sick  of  it.  A 
few  more  fights  such  as  they've  had  at  Boston  '11  teach 
'em  that  the  colonies  are  not  to  be  trifled  with.  My, 
Meg,  but  that  must  have  been  a  battle  worth  seeing !  " 

"It  must  have  been  a  terrible  sight,"  said  Margaret, 
with  a  shudder.  "  Such  cruel,  needless  bloodshed  !  " 

"  What,  little  twin,  is  that  you?  " 


98  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Margaret  recognized  the  voice,  but  its  owner  looked 
wan  and  unreal  in  the  ghostly  light. 

"  Hullo,  Nat !     Where'd  you  come  from  ?  "  cried  Ben. 

"Just  home  from  college,"  answered  the  young  fellow, 
giving  Margaret  his  hand. 

"  Have  you  come  to  stay?  "  she  asked. 

"Not  if  I  can  persuade  father  to  let  me  enlist,"  an 
swered  Nathaniel.  "  Much  as  I  want  to  go  on  with  my 
studies,  I  want  still  more  to  be  serving  my  country.  It 
is  not  a  time  to  be  poring  over  books." 

"  Say,  Meg,  hurry  up,"  urged  Ben. 

"  Oh,  go  on,  Ben  !     I'll  see  to  Lion,"  said  Meg. 

"And  I'll  see  to  Lion's  mistress,  with  her  ladyship's 
permission,"  said  Nathaniel,  as  Ben  vanished. 

"You  have  come  at  a  sorry  time,  Nathaniel,"  said 
the  girl.  "  Who  would  have  believed  that  such  trouble 
as  this  could  happen  to  the  colonies?" 

"  It  is  a  time  that  stirs  one's  blood,  Marjorie,"  he  an 
swered  quickly,  his  eyes  kindling. 

As  they  talked,  the  sound  of  other  voices  came  at  in 
tervals  through  the  fog,  while  the  speakers  themselves 
went  past  them  like  phantoms  ;  and  the  fragments  of 
sentences  that  reached  them  seemed  but  echoes  of  their 
own  words.  War  !  Battle  !  Bloodshed  !  All  thought 
and  speech  took  the  same  trend. 

"There  is  one  bit  of  good  news,  though,"  said 
Nathaniel;  "Congress  has  appointed  Colonel  George 
Washington  commander-in-chief.  They  could  hardly 
have  made  a  better  choice." 

"Ah,  but  the  appointment  of  a  commander-in-chief 


BUNKER  HILL.  99 

proves  that  they  apprehend  a  general  war,"  said  the 
girl.  "  Oh,  it  is  too  dreadful  to  think  of,  Nathaniel !  " 

"War  is  always  dreadful,  and  many  times  it  might 
be  avoided ;  but  in  the  present  case  it  seems  inevitable, 
since  England  leaves  us  no  choice  but  slavery.  Oh, 
it's  a  glorious  cause  to  fight  for,  Marjorie,  the  freedom 
of  one's  native  land  !  And  the  East  End  is  coming  to 
the  fore  nobly.  General  Wooster  is  forming  a  camp  at 
Oyster  Ponds,1  and  volunteers  are  flocking  in  by  scores. 
I  only  wish  I  were  there  with  them." 

Margaret  made  no  answer.  She  was  saying  to  her 
self,  with  a  sob  in  her  throat,  that  soon  they  would  all 
be  going;  and  Nathaniel,  respecting  her  silence,  con 
fined  his  remarks  to  Lord  Lion. 

l  Now  known  as  Orient. 


IOO  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   X. 

DEFENCELESS. 

THE  lights  burned  late  in  the  village  that  night ;  in 
some  of  the  houses  they  burned  until  daybreak. 
The   whole   community   was    awake.      Men   in   earnest 

J 

debate  paced  the  street  till  the  stars  paled ;  while  others, 
equally  earnest,  sat  with  closed  doors  and  discussed  the 
day's  dread  tidings. 

It  was  as  if  an  earthquake  had  rocked  the  Island  from 
shore  to  shore  ;  and  under  the  pressure  of  the  hour  youth 
leaped  into  manhood;  and  old  age  forgot  its  years.  It 
was  vain  to  go  on  hoping  and  praying  that  war  might 
be  averted  ;  the  time  had  come  to  act ;  the  battle  was  on, 
with  little  likelihood  of  its  being  long  confined  to  the  Bay 
Colony.  Already  the  enemy  might  be  hovering  in  the 
vicinity  waiting  an  opportunity  to  pounce  upon  the  stock, 
and  the  exposed  extent  of  the  East  End  coast  made  it 
imperative  for  defensive  measures  to  be  taken  at  once. 
The  neighboring  villages  were  in  the  same  state  of  alarm, 
and  messengers  had  come  post-haste  to  confer  with  the 
Committee  of  Safety. 

"Whatever  measures  you  adopt,  Southampton  and 
the  Harbor  will  stand  by  you,"  said  the  Southampton 
committee.  "  Our  interests  are  one."  And  the  two 


DEFENCELESS.  IOI 

committees,  acting  in  concert,  lost  no  time  in  represent 
ing  to  the  Provincial  Congress  the  danger  that  threat 
ened  Montauk  and  Gardiner's  Island. 

But  the  days  grew  into  weeks,  and  no  help  came. 

"If  ol'  'Fishhook'  Mulford 1  was  alive,  he'd  fetch 
'em,"  said  Silas  Post.  "  He'd  march  into  Congress  in 
his  tow  trousers,  jus'  as  he  did  into  Saint  Jeemes's  Court, 
when  he  wanted  'em  to  take  the  tax  off  our  whale  oil, 
an'  wouldn't  give  'em  a  minute's  peace  till  he  got  the 
soldiers  ordered  down  here." 

"  Doubtless  all  the  troops  that  can  be  raised  are  needed 
where  the  conflict  is  in  progress,"  said  Deacon  Cook, 
who,  with  Ben  Huntting  and  Captain  Herrick,  had  come 
from  Southampton  to  discuss  the  situation.  "Congress, 
we  may  be  sure,  would  send  us  help  if  it  were  possible. 
They  know  too  well  the  importance  of  saving  the  East 
End  herds  from  the  clutches  of  the  enemy." 

"  They  won't  make  us  wait  a  day  longer  than  is  neces 
sary,  we  can  depend  on  that,"  said  Aaron  Neale.  "And 
meanwhile,  the  wisest  thing  we  can  do  is  to  station  our 
own  men  on  the  Point." 

"Well,  if  the  East  En'  keeps  on,  we'll  have  a  putty 
good  showirT,"  remarked  Silas,  beginning  to  reckon 
on  his  fingers  with  his  crutch.  "  See,  there's  'Zek'el 
Mulford's  company,  an'  Cap'n  Dave  Pierson's,  an'  now 
they're  gittin'  up  one  over  to  Mecox,  an'  one  at  Sagg, 
and  that,  with  John  Hurlburt's  at  Bridgehampton,  and 


102  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Scuttle  Hole,  '11  make  five,  'thout  countin'  the  Southamp- 
toners,  an'  the  one  the  Bridgehampton  and  Sag  Harbor 
folks  are  gittin'  up.  Hear  'bout  Hurlburt's  gittin'  his 
commission?  Seth  Howell  was  tellin'  me.  It  happened 
to  come  Lord's  Day  afternoon ;  an'  the  minute  Parson 
Brown  said  'Amen'  to  the  benediction,  John  took  his 
stand  at  the  meetin'-house  door,  an'  made  sech  a  stirrin' 
speech  that  he  got  his  full  number  o'  volunteers  on  the 
spot.  Tell  you,  that's  the  way  to  do  business.  Nuthin' 
like  takin'  time  by  the  top-knot." 

"  Hurlburt,  no  doubt,  found  that  out  keeping  tavern," 
said  Aaron  Neale,  with  a  smile.  "  He'll  make  a  valiant 
captain,  but  he  can't  be  spared  until  we  are  sure  of  the 
safety  of  our  sheep  and  cattle.  Till  then  we  shall  have 
need  of  every  man  that  we  can  muster." 

They  had  but  fairly  begun  to  rally  their  forces  when 
word  was  received  that  Washington  had  informed  Con 
gress  that  the  British  fleet  was  in  motion,  with  the  inten 
tion,  apparently,  of  making  a  descent  on  Long  Island ; 
and  that  Congress,  in  reporting  the  danger  to  the  Com 
mittee,  advised  the  latter  to  take  measures  at  once  to 
secure  the  stock,  and  to  employ  for  that  purpose,  until 
the  order  should  be  countermanded,  the  companies  that 
were  being  raised  in  the  neighborhood  for  the  Continental 
service. 

"We'll  do  our  best,"  said  Captain  Mulford ;  "but 
they  can't  expect  us  to  hold  the  British  fleet  at  bay  with 
a  handful  of  undisciplined  volunteers." 

Throughout  the  village  the  wildest  excitement  pre 
vailed.  But  when  a  week  went  by  without  bringing  any 


DEFENCELESS.  1 03 

signs  of  the  dreaded  fleet,  every  one  began  to  take  cour 
age. 

"  Still,  we  needn't  flatter  ourselves  that  they  are  going 
to  give  us  the  go-by,"  said  Aaron  Neale.  "  Supplies 
are  getting  low  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  and  sooner  or 
later  we  shall  have  the  threatened  visit." 

"  If  the  Committee  had  the  sense  to  treat  them  civilly, 
and  let  them  have  what  they  want  at  a  fair  price,  it  would 
save  all  this  trouble,"  said  Prudence  Golby. 
*  "There  has  been  too  much  of  that  sort  of  civility 
shown  them  already,  Prudence,"  responded  Aaron  ;  "  and 
all  the  towns  and  villages  in  the  county  have  united  in 
prohibiting  the  sale  of  any  more  cattle  to  their  agents,  no 
matter  what  price  they  offer." 

"A  wise  measure  it  is  too,"  said  John  Thurston ; 
"for  if  the  war  goes  on,  all  the  sheep  and  cattle  will  be 
needed  for  our  own  troops  ;  and  for  that  very  reason  one 
would  think  that  Congress  might  find  some  way  to  aid  us 
in  protecting  them.  Besides,"  he  continued,  walking 
the  floor  with  his  hands  clinched  behind  him,  "the  pa 
triotism  of  the  East  End  deserves  recognition." 

"Oh,  come,  John,"  protested  Aaron,  "we  must  not 
begin  to  berate  Congress.  It  is  not  because  they  are 
unmindful  of  our  adherence  to  the  cause,  we  may  be 
sure  of  that ;  but  because  they  have  no  forces  at  com 
mand  that  can  be  spared.  Washington,  they  say,  has 
at  most  not  over  fourteen  thousand  men,  and  the  ma 
jority  of  them  are  raw  militia,  scant  of  both  clothing 
and  ammunition,  and  ill-conditioned  in  every  way ;  yet 
they  are  bravely  beleaguering  Boston,  determined  to 


104  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

starve    the    British    out,    and    compel    them    to    retreat 
to  their  ships." 

"Ay,  and  they'll  do  it  too,"  answered  his  brother-in- 
law;  "but  the  very  fact  that  they  are  cutting  off  their 
landward  supplies  doubles  our  danger.  Ah,  here's 
Brewster,  and  he  has  the  look  of  one  that  brings  good 
tidings." 

"  I  hope  they  will  prove  good,"  said  the  young  man, 
coming  in  with  his  riding-whip  in  his  hand.  "  Four 
companies  from  Wooster's  camp  at  Oyster  Ponds  are 
promised  us,  with  Colonel  Fanning  in  command  :  and 
Captain  Grinnell  is  to  come  at  once  to  assist  in  saving 
the  stock  and  protecting  the  people  from  insult/' 

"At  last,  thank  God  !  "  cried  John  Thurston. 

Betty  Osgood  was  spending  the  day  with  Margaret, 
and  the  two  looked  up  with  an  eager  welcome  in  their 
faces  ;  but  the  young  man  was  too  preoccupied  to  do 
more  than  give  them  a  hasty  bow. 

"Ay,  thank  God,  it  is  not  yet  too  late,"  said  Aaron 
Neale. 

But  he  had  scarcely  uttered  the  words  when  Captain 
Dayton  rushed  in. 

"  God  help  us  !  "  he  shouted.  "  Here  you  sit  talking, 
and  the  British  fleet  is  in  Gardiner's  Bay  —  two  men-of- 
war,  two  brigs,  and  an  armed  schooner,  with  half  a  dozen 
or  more  transports." 

The  men  sprang  to  their  feet. 

"God  help  us,  indeed!"  cried  John  Thurston;  "it's 
little  we  can  do  to  help  ourselves." 

"  But  possibly  we  can  do  something  to  help  our  neigh- 


DEFENCELESS.  IO5 

bors,"  said  Neale,  snatching  his  musket  from  its  wooden 
brackets  over  the  fireplace;  "  and  there's  no  time  to  be 
lost." 

As  they  were  leaving  the  house,  Ben,  with  his  old 
uuck-gun  in  his  hand,  came  hurrying  to  join  them.  But 
before  he  reached  the  door  his  mother  brought  him  to  a 
stand. 

"Stay  where  you  are,"  she  commanded,  grasping  him 
by  the  arm.  "You're  nothing  but  a  boy,  and  there  isn't 
ant  call  for  you  to  mix  yourself  up  in  this  affair.  Be 
sides,  there's  no  telling  but  you  may  be  needed  here." 

His  Uncle  John,  at  the  sight  of  his  disappointed  face, 
was  half  tempted  to  interfere.  But  it  was  true  that  he 
might  be  needed  at  home,  in  case  the  others  were  de 
tained  for  the  night. 

"  Yes,  yes,  Ben,  you  must  consider  yourself  the  home 
guard.  Thank  you,  child,  thank  you,"  he  added  to  Mar 
garet,  who  had  run  to  get  his  powder-horn,  "I  should  be 
badly  off  without  that." 

At  the  gate,  where  Rex  was  pawing  the  ground,  they 
were  joined  by  Ezekiel  Mulford  and  Captain  Hurlburt. 

"  Our  men  are  mustering,"  cried  Hurlburt ;  "  but  what 
can  we  do?  The  British  have  landed  at  the  Manor,  and 
are  already  carrying  off  the  cattle  and  sheep.  What 
other  mischief  they  will  do,  God  knows  !  " 

"First  of  all,  we  must  get  word  to  General  Wooster 
to  despatch  troops  at  once  to  the  Island,"  said  Aaron 
Neale. 

"But  whom  can  we  send?"  asked  Brewster,  as  he 
vaulted  into  the  saddle. 


IO6  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Go  yourself,  man,"  cried  Mulford.  "  There  isn't  a 
horse  in  the  place  that  can  equal  Rex  for  speed.  And 
charge  them,  for  God's  sake,  to  make  haste." 

There  was  a  moment's  debate  as  to  which  would  be 
the  shortest  way  to  Oyster  Ponds,  and  Rex  and  his 
master  were  off. 

Margaret  and  Betty,  standing  at  the  window,  clutched 
each  other  by  the  hand  in  a  fever  of  excitement. 

"  Betty  !  if  we  were  only  men  !  "  lamented  Margaret. 

"Much  good  'twould  do  you,  if  you  weren't  any  bet 
ter  off  'n  I  am,"  growled  Ben,  with  a  vicious  kick  at  the 
door-sill.  "As  if  I  couldn't  fire  a  gun  as  well  as  Tom 
Davis  or  Vet  Dimon.  Guess  a  fellow  't  can  bring  down 
a  duck  on  the  wing  wouldn't  be  apt  to  miss  the  mark 
when  he  took  aim  at  a  redcoat." 

"  Have  patience,  Benjamin,"  counselled  his  grand 
father.  "Thou  mayst  soon  be  having  more  chances 
than  thou'lt  want,  to  prove  thy  skill." 

"  lie  is  not  going  to  prove  it  by  any  disloyalty  to  our 
gracious  sovereign,  King  George,"  interposed  his  mother, 
"  not  with  my  consent." 

"  Long  live  King  George  !  "  screeched  a  vicious-look 
ing  parrot  from  her  perch  over  the  window. 

"  Oh  !  shut  up,  Poll,"  muttered  Ben.  "  King  George 
can  live  forever,  for  all  I  care  ;  but  a  fellow  doesn't  want 
to  stay  cooped  up  in  the  house  when  all  the  rest  of  the 
men  are  off  fighting." 

"There's  no  call  for  your  staying  cooped  up,"  re 
torted  Prudence,  relentlessly.  "You  can  go  finish  dig 
ging  those  potatoes  in  the  south  lot." 


DEFENCELESS.  IO/ 

And  Ben  obediently  marched  off  to  the  potato-patch ; 
but  he  carried  his  gun  with  him. 

To  the  entire  community  the  news  of  the  approach  of 
the  enemy  was  like  a  thunderbolt ;  nor  did  the  fact  that 
the  fleet  had  halted  at  the  Manor  tend  to  lessen  the  anxi 
ety,  for  no  one  dared  to  entertain  the  hope  that  the  ships 
would  leave  the  neighborhood  without  visiting  the  main 
land ;  and  with  drear  forebodings  the  people  hastened 
to  make  such  preparations  as  they  could  for  the  defence 
of  their  homes  and  property,  the  men  taking  care  to  put 
out  of  sight  all  the  implements  of  war  that  were  not 
wanted  for  immediate  use,  and  the  housewives  losing 
no  time  in  rinding  hiding-places  for  their  small  store  of 
family  plate. 

Colonel  Gardiner,  who  as  one  of  the  guardians  of 
little  John  Lion  and  his  brother,  and  also  one  of  the  ex 
ecutors  of  the  estate,  was  in  charge  of  the  Manor  at  the 
time,  had  at  once  despatched  messengers  to  both  East- 
hampton  and  Connecticut  to  give  the  alarm.  But  it  was 
impossible  for  the  people  on  the  Long  Island  shore  to 
render  him  any  assistance  ;  for  even  if  they  had  been 
able  to  command  the  necessary  forces,  there  were  no 
boats  at  hand  to  carry  them  across  ;  and  when  the  Brit 
ish,  after  a  vain  attempt  to  negotiate  for  the  purchase  of 
the  stock,  began  taking  forcible  possession  of  both  stock 
and  produce,  Colonel  Gardiner  and  the  tenants  found 
themselves  compelled  to  leave  the  Island  to  its  fate. 

" 'Twould  'a'  broke  the  master's  heart,  had  he  lived 
to  see  the  day,"  said  Jason  Skrill.  "  They're  worse'n  the 
Spanish  pirates  I  use'  to  hear  'im  tell  about,  an'  'tain't 


108  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

no  more  good  tryin'  to  keep  things  out  o'  their  clutches 
'n  if  they's  ravenin'  wolves." 

"Ay,  they're  a  thousand  times  worse  than  the  pirates," 
said  Squire  Hedges  ;  "  for  they  are  our  kith  and  kin,  and 
might  naturally  be  expected  to  show  some  sort  of  consid 
eration  for  us.  It's  enough  to  make  the  dead  rise  out  of 
their  graves  to  see  the  place  so  desecrated.'' 

But  before  noon  the  next  day  Brewster  returned,  bring 
ing  the  cheering  intelligence  that  a  large  body  of  troops 
had  already  set  sail  for  the  Manor. 

"  The  news  that  the  redcoats  are  plundering  the 
Island  has  spread  far  and  wide,"  he  said;  "  and  volun 
teers  from  all  the  western  towns  are  pressing  into  Woos- 
ter's  camp,  so  there  will  be  no  lack  of  men;  and  as  they 
are  not  likely  to  get  anything  to  eat  at  the  Manor,  we 
shall  have  to  be  prepared  to  feed  them." 

It  was  a  busy  time  for  the  housekeepers.  Even  Mis 
tress  Prudence  Golby  had  the  great  brick  oven  heated, 
and  spent  the  day  in  the  kitchen,  helping  Hagar  with  the 
baking. 

"They'll  never  forget  you,  Aunt  Prudence,"  said 
Margaret,  delighted  at  this  unlooked-for  evidence  of  pa 
triotism  on  the  part  of  her  aunt;  "  they'll  be  so  hungry, 
poor  fellows,  coming  all  the  way  from  Oyster  Ponds." 

"  Humph  !  no  telling  who'll  get  the  good  of  it,"  an 
swered  Prudence.  "First  come,  first  served." 

"But,  Aunt  Prudence!  you  surely  don't  mean  all 
these  good  things  for  the  enemy  !  "  cried  the  girl. 

"  It  would  only  be  according  to  Scripture,  if  they  hap 
pen  to  be  hungry,"  said  Prudence  grimly.  "But  I'm 


DEFENCELESS.  109 

not  disposed  to  consider  them  our  enemies.  If  folks 
would  treat  them  with  a  little  more  respect,  they'd  be  the 
best  of  friends." 

Margaret,  not  caring  to  bring  on  a  war  of  words, 
remained  silent. 

"Go  'long,  chile,"  said  Hagar.  "  Dis  yere  kitchen 
ain't  big  'nough  fo'  mo'  'n  two  ob  us  to  be  putterin'  roun' 
to  onct." 

It  was,  in  fact,  an  unusually  large  kitchen,  and,  with 
its*rows  of  pewter  plates  and  porringers  aglitter  on  the 
dresser  shelves,  its  open  windows  and  appetizing  odors, 
a  very  inviting  one  ;  but  the  girl  took  the  hint  and  walked 
away. 

J 

Through  the  open  door  she  saw  her  grandfather  stand 
ing  at  the  gate,  and  she  knew  that  he  was  there  in  the 
-hope  of  learning  from  some  passer-by  whether  or  not 
the  troops  had  come.  But  the  street  was  deserted  ;  for 
the  women  were  hard  at  work  indoors,  while  the  men  and 
boys,  those  at  least  who  were  not  engaged  in  looking 
after  the  flocks  on  the  Meadows,  were  at  Fireplace, 
watching  with  straining  eyes  for  the  coming  of  Wooster's 
forces. 

"We  might  step  down  to  the  parsonage  and  see  how 
thy  friend  Jerusha  fares,"  the  old  man  suggested,  when 
she  joined  him.  "It  is  a  sore  trial  to  come  to  her  in 
her  widowhood." 

"  Oh,  my  heart  aches  for  her,"  said  the  girl.  "  To 
think  of  the  dear  old  Manor  being  at  the  mercy  of  the 
enemy !  " 

"No,  no,  little  one,"  chided  her  grandfather,  "  it  is  at 


1 10  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

the  mercy  of  the  Lord,  and  whatever  evil  is  wrought,  He 
will  overrule  it  for  good." 

It  was  not  easy  just  then  for  Margaret  to  accept  this 
tenet,  and  she  kept  silent  till  they  came  opposite  the 
parsonage. 

"  It  is  pleasant  walking,"  she  said. 

"Ay,"  answered  the  old  Quaker  promptly.  And  in 
the  peaceful  summer  sunshine,  with  the  cool  salt  wind 
tempering  the  heat,  they  wrent  on  until  they  came  in  sight 
of  the  crowd  that  had  gathered  at  Fireplace. 

"  The  troops  from  Oyster  Ponds  must  be  there  by  this 
time,"  said  Margaret,  quickening  her  step. 

But  through  all  that  August  afternoon  the  people 
watched  in  vain,  and  night  at  last  shut  down  without 
bringing  the  promised  help. 

"  I  can't  understand  it,"  said  Brewster.  "  The  order 
had  been  given  before  I  left  for  the  troops  to  proceed  at 
once  to  the  Island,  and  with  this  wind  they  should  have 
been  there  by  noon  at  the  latest." 

The  second  day  was  but  a  repetition  of  the  first.  Every 
hour  brought  fresh  arrivals  from  the  neighboring  vil 
lages  ;  and  -each  newcomer,  especially  if  he  chanced  to 
be  on  horseback,  was  eagerly  hailed  in  the  hope  of  his 
bringing  \vord  from  Oyster  Ponds.  But  all  were  alike 
ignorant  of  the  cause  of  the  delay. 

"It  is  past  belief  that  Wooster  would  intentionally 
leave  us  in  the  lurch  in  this  way,"  said  Isaac  Conkling. 

"It  is  not  intentional,  I  can  vouch  for  that,"  answered 
Lodowick  Brewster.  "  It  may  be  that  he  is  planning  to 
trap  them  in  some  way." 


DEFENCELESS.  1 1 1 

And,  still  nursing  the  forlorn  hope,  they  watched  an 
other  sun  go  down. 

It  was  the  eleventh  of  August,  the  fourth  day  after  the 
beginning  of  depredations  at  the  Manor,  and  still  no 
help  had  come. 

"  It  looks  to  me,"  said  Aaron  Neale,  raising  his  field- 
glass,  "as  if  they  were  preparing  to  weigh  anchor." 

"  God  help  us  if  they  are  meaning  to  cross  over  to 
Montauk  !  "  cried  Conkling.  "Our  Amagansett  folks 
are  ^already  half-crazed  with  fear." 

"Hi!  look!"  shouted  Ike  Bennett,  who  had  chosen 
for  a  watch-tower  the  topmost  crutch  in  a  sturdy  cedar. 
"  Here  comes  a  sail.  'Tain't  a  Britisher,  neither." 

"At  last,  then,  the  fleet  has  started,"  cried  Brewster, 
confident  that  other  sails  would  speedily  heave  in  sight. 
But  they  strained  their  tired  eyes  in  vain.  The  boat 
that  had  been  sighted  came  on  its  way  alone  ;  and,  by  the 
time  it  reached  the  Manor,  the  robbers  had  sailed  away 
in  triumph,  laden  with  spoils. 

Why  this  solitary  vessel,  with  its  meagre  force  —  it 
was  learned  afterward  that  it  carried  only  forty  men  — 
had  come  at  that  late  hour,  was  a  mystery  that  none  of 
them  could  solve. 

"At  least,"  said  Jonathan  Hedges,  when  disappoint 
ment  and  consternation  had  given  place  to  indignant 
wrath,  "we  have  the  selfish  consolation  of  finding  our 
selves  unmolested." 

"That's  so,"  answered  Silas  Post;  "but  I'd  give  a 
penny  to  git  acrost,  and  know  jus'  what  mischief  the  vil 
lains  have  be'n  up  to." 


AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

It  was  mischief  indeed ;  for  on  investigation  it  was 
found  that  they  had  carried  off  nearly  twelve  hundred 
sheep,  besides  sixty  head  of  cattle  and  hogs,  and  a  large 
quantity  of  hay.1 

"And  the  worst  of  it  is,"  said  Captain  Dayton,  "  it  all 
goes  to  strengthen  the  enemy." 

"Ay,  that's  decidedly  the  worst  of  it,"  said  Squire 
Hedges,  clenching  his  hands. 

Just  then  Lodowick  Brewster  rode  up. 

"  The  mystery  is  explained,"  he  cried  fiercely.  "  The 
troops,  after  starting  for  the  Manor,  were  met  by  parties 
who  informed  them  that  the  British  had  left  the  Island  ; 
and,  supposing  that  their  services  were  no  longer  needed, 
they  turned  back." 

"  Those  that  carried  that  message,"  said  Aaron  Neale, 
"  must  have  been  in  league  with  the  enemy." 

"Ay,"  answered  Brewster,  "it  is  very  evident  that 
the  marauders  knew  that  they  had  nothing  to  fear. 
Thank  God,  they  saw  fit  to  sail  away  without  crossing 
over.  The  Meadows  would  have  been  completely  at 
their  mercy." 

"But  they  say  they  left  word  they're  coinin'  agin, 
with  troops  enough  to  plunder  all  Long  Islan',"  droned 
Olin  Dole,  with  a  lengthened  face. 

"Forewarned  is  forearmed,  remember,  Olin,''  an 
swered  Brewster  cheerfully. 

But  the  rumor  of  this  threat,  which  was  not  without 
foundation,  caused  fresh  dismay.  By  order  of  the  County 

1  Full  particulars  of  this  raid  are  given  in  Gardiner's  "  Chronicles  of  East- 
hampton." 


DEFENCELESS.  I  I  3 

Committee,  the  remainder  of  the  Manor  stock,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  horses,  was  at  once  taken  off  and 
sold  for  Continental  money :  but  Montauk  was  still  in 
jeopardy ;  and,  to  add  to  the  fear  and  anxiety  that  pre 
vailed,  it  began  to  be  reported  that  General  Wooster, 
whose  camp  at  Oyster  Ponds  had  been  their  chief  reli 
ance,  had  received  orders  to  join  the  main  army. 

Twice  during  the  remainder  of  the  month  word  came 
that  some  of  the  British  ships  had  set  sail  westward,  and 
wer£  probably  planning  a  descent  on  Montauk ;  and, 
though  in  both  instances  the  alarm  proved  groundless, 
the  people  were  kept  in  hourly  apprehension. 


114  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

AN    EMBARGO. 

IN  the  intervals  between  these  frequent  alarms,  the 
men  were  in  the  fields,  working  as  if  for  their  lives, 
not  knowing  at  what  moment  they  might  have  to  seize 
their  guns,  and  rush  to  the  Meadows  to  protect  the  stock. 
Many  of  the  earlier  volunteers  from  the  East  End  were 
already  in  the  army,  and  those  that  had  remained  as  a 
home  guard  were  but  scantily  furnished  with  muskets 
and  ammunition.  It  was  not  a  hopeful  outlook  ;  and, 
before  the  summer  ended,  Wooster  had  broken  camp  at 
Oyster  Ponds,  and  marched  northward. 

Still,  in  most  ways,  in  spite  of  the  steadily  darkening 
outlook,  the  daily  life  went  on,  apparently  the  same  as 
in  other  years  :  in  the  barns  could  be  heard  the  thud  of 
the  flail  on  the  threshing-floor,  and  the  fall  of  the  brake 
on  the  undressed  flax,  while  in  the  gray  old  houses 
sounded  from  morning  till  night  the  monotonous  whir  of 
the  spinning-wheel ;  and  when,  from  time  to  time,  a  weft 
on  the  tall  pole  surmounting  the  sand-dunes  signalled  to 
the  community  that  a  whale  had  been  sighted,  the  whal 
ing  squadrons  manned  their  boats,  and  dashed  into  the 
breakers  with  as  keen  a  zest  as  ever. 

But,  in  whatever  way  the  people  were  employed,  they 


AN  EMBARGO.  I  I  5 

carried  heavy  hearts  through  all  that  dreary  autumn  ; 
and  Thanksgiving  Day,  which  had  hitherto  been  joy 
ously  observed  in  the  old  New  England  fashion,  was 
turned  into  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  for  who  could 
feast  with  that  death's  head  at  the  table?  Even  when  on 
New  Year's  Eve  they  gathered  about  the  blazing  hearth, 
instead  of  repeating  the  songs  and  stories  with  which 
they  had  been  wont  to  watch  the  old  year  out,  they  sat 
with  knitted  brows,  and  discussed  the  progress  of  the 
war. 

"  It's  slow  work  they're  making  of  it,"  said  Squire 
Osborn,  as  he  filled  his  pipe  ;  "  and  it's  that  that's  eating 
out  the  heart  of  the  people.  The  delay  and  uncertainty 
are  harder  to  bear  than  active  warfare." 

"Ay,  and  every  day's  delay,"  responded  Jonathan 
Hedges,  "  is  giving  the  enemy  time  to  bring  over  more 
troops." 

"Well,  they're  likely  to  need  all  they  can  get,"  said 
Aaron  Neale ;  "for,  in  addition  to  being  obliged  to  keep 
Boston  strongly  garrisoned,  they  are  having  their  hands 
full  to  hold  their  own  in  Canada ;  and  that,  perhaps,  is 
one  reason  that  we  are  left  so  long  unmolested." 

"Well,  for  my  part,  if  they're  comin',  I  wish  they'd 
come,  and  have  done  with  it,"  said  Silas  Post.  "It's 
this  everlastin'  seesawin' -- hope  teeterin'  up  one  day, 
an'  down  the  next  —  that's  takin'  the  heart  out  o'  me" 

"That's  an  ill-timed  wish,  Silas,"  answered  Neale. 
"Let  us  thank  the  Lord  that  their  coming  is  deferred. 
With  our  scant  supply  of  men  and  ammunition,  we  could 
hardly  hope  to  withstand  them." 


Il6  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"If  they'll  only  wait  until  Congress  sends  the  prom 
ised  help,"  said  John  Thurston,  "we  shall  have  just 
cause  for  thankfulness ;  but  Congress  seems  to  have 
forgotten  us." 

"  Patience,  John,  patience,"  counselled  Aaron  ;  "  Con 
gress  is  doubtless  doing  its  best." 

And  at  last  there  seemed  a  prospect  that  their  patience 
was  to  be  rewarded,  for  the  official  assurance  came  that 
strenuous  efforts  were  being  made  to  raise  troops  for  the 
protection  of  the  stock. 

It  was  early  in  the  new  year  that  this  information  was 
received ;  and,  with  hope  again  uppermost,  the  people 
roused  themselves  to  consider  in  what  way  they  could 
best  provide  for  the  expected  forces.  To  lay  an  em 
bargo  prohibiting,  until  spring,  the  sale  and  exportation 
of  all  provisions,  seemed  the  wisest  course  ;  and  for  the 
purpose  of  drafting  a  memorial  to  that  effect  to  be  sub 
mitted  to  Congress,  it  was  decided  that  the  committees 
of  Easthampton,  Southampton,  and  Shelter  Island  should 
convene  at  the  Harbor  on  the  eighth  day  of  February. 

"  I  wish  I  were  going  with  you,"  said  Margaret,  find 
ing  that  her  father  was  to  attend  the  meeting. 

"Why  not  go?  That  reminds  me,  daughter,  that  I 
met  Ben  Coleman  the  other  day,  and  he  said  that 
Lucinda  was  wanting  a  visit  from  you." 

A  trip  to  the  Harbor  was  a  rare  treat  to  the  girl,  and 
she  made  haste  to  get  ready. 

"  It  will  be  a  fine  jaunt  for  thee,  little  one,"  said  her 
grandfather;  "but  keep  her  well  muffled,  Aaron,"  he 
enjoined,  putting  in  the  family  cloak,  and  tucking  the 


"THEY    SAT    WITH    KNITTED    BROWS    AND    DISCUSSED    THE    PROGRESS    OF 
THE    WAR." 


AN  EMBARGO.  1 1  / 

foot-stove  under  the  fox-skin  lap-robe,  as  Aaron  gath 
ered  up  the  reins. 

"  Such  coddling  !  "  sniffed  Prudence.  But  Margaret 
leaned  down  from  the  rickety  chaise,  and  kissed  the  old 
man,  warmed  to  the  heart  by  his  motherly  care  for  her 
comfort. 

Before  they  were  fairly  out  of  the  village,  they  were 
overtaken  by  Lodowick  Brewster. 

4  "What,  Marjorie,  do  you,  too,  belong  to  the  commit 
tee?''  he  asked,  smiling  down  on  her  from  the  saddle. 
And  then  he  and  her  father  fell  to  discussing  the  ques 
tion  of  the  day  ;  and  Margaret,  seemingly  for  the  time 
forgotten,  had  an  excellent  opportunity  to  study  the 
wintry  landscape,  but  she  lost  no  word  of  the  conver 
sation. 

In  front  of  Howell's  Inn  they  met  Mr.  Thomas  Bering 
from  Shelter  Island,  and  Mr.  Samuel  L'Hommedieu, 
and  Captain  David  Hand. 

"What  news,  friends?"  asked  Aaron  Neale. 

"  Nothing  very  encouraging,  Aaron,"  answered  Mr. 
L'Hommedieu,  who  was  shaking  hands  with  Margaret. 
"  It  is  rumored  that  Governor  Tryon,  of  whom  we  had 
hoped  better  things,  is  plotting  mischief  with  the  New 
York  Tories,  and  using  the  Asia  in  seizing  vessels  laden 
with  provisions  for  the  Continentals." 

"Ah,  it  is  a  wretched  state  of  things,"  said  Mr.  Ber 
ing.  "  In  Boston  the  British  are  spending  the  time  in 
revelling  and  play-going,  while  the  inhabitants  are  on  the 
verge  of  starvation.  Our  forces  are  still  beleaguering 
the  town,  but  are  unable  to  take  any  decisive  step  for 


Il8  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

lack  of  arms  and  ammunition ;  and  General  Washington 
is  at  his  wits'  end." 

"Yes,  the  general  has  his  hands  full,"  answered 
Neale ;  "and  with  Congress,  too,  so  overburdened,  we 
oughtn't  to  complain  if  our  petitions  don't  receive  prompt 
attention.  Our  turn  will  come  in  due  time." 

When  they  stopped  at  the  Colemans',  Brewster  sprung 
from  the  saddle,  and  helped  Margaret  out,  before  her 
father  had  put  down  the  reins.  And  then  the  door  flew 
open,  and  Lucinda  Coleman  ran  out  to  greet  them.  She 
wore  a  long  linen  apron,  and  her  plump  arms  were  bare 
to  the  elbow. 

"I  can't  shake  hands  with  thee,  for  I've  just  taken 
mine  from  the  bread-tray,"  she  said,  carefully  keeping 
herself  from  coming  in  contact  with  Margaret's  black 
cloak ;  but  she  put  up  her  lips  and  kissed  her. 

"  What,  can  you  make  bread,  Lucinda?"  asked  Aaron 
Neale.  "Why,  you  are  going  ahead  of  Madge!  She 
can  tell  you  all  about  making  pumpkin-cake  and  dough 
nuts,  but  I  don't  think  she  has  ever  tried  her  hand  at 
bread." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have,  once  !  "  laughed  Madge  ;  "  but  it 
was  so  heavy  that  Aunt  Prudence  pronounced  it  fit  for 
nothing  but  bullets,  and  I've  never  had  the  courage  to 
try  again." 

"  Well,  bullets  are  sorely  needed  just  now,  answered 
her  father.  "But  run  in,  girls.  You  will  take  cold, 
Lucinda,  standing  there  in  the  wind  ;•  and  make  the 
most  of  your  time,  Meg,  for  we  shall  probably  be  back 
in  an  hour  or  two." 


AN  EMBARGO.  119 

"And  Lucinda  must  have  some  hot  coals  for  you," 
said  Brewster,  as  he  handed  her  the  foot-stove  from  the 
chaise. 

"  Nay,  hot  coals  are  for  our  enemies,"  answered  Lu 
cinda,  demurely.  "  I  am  so  glad  to  see  thee,"  she  said, 
drawing  Margaret  in.  "  Betsy  Bering  is  here.  She 
came  across  with  her  father." 

Margaret  and  Betsy  had  been  friends  from  childhood, 
and  each  gave  a  little  cry  of  delight  at  this  unexpected 
meeting.  Both  had  brought  knitting-work ;  and  Lu 
cinda,  when  she  had  put  her  bread  in  the  oven,  joined 
them  with  her  needles  and  ball. 

"  If  the  war  keeps  on,"  said  Margaret,  "  socks  as 
well  as  bullets  will  be  wanted  for  the  soldiers,  and  the 
more  we  can  knit  the  better." 

"I  was  in  New  London  last  week,  visiting  Mrs. 
Angel,"  said  Betsy  ;  "  and  no  one  could  talk  of  anything 
but  the  war.  The  sewing-society  met  there  one  after 
noon,  and  they  voted  that,  instead  of  working  for  the 
church,  as  they  had  been  doing,  they  would  begin  at 
once  to  make  up  clothing  for  the  soldiers ;  and  some  of 
them  are  gathering  up  all  their  old  pewter  to  run  into 
bullets.  They  mean  to  be  ready  for  whatever  comes  ; 
and  Mrs.  Angel  says  that,  if  there  is  any  occasion  for  it, 
she  is  going  to  turn  her  house  into  a  hospital.  'Twould 
make  a  fine  one,  it  is  so  large  and  airy  ;  but  one  shud 
ders  to  think  of  the  possibility  of  its  having  to  be  used 
for  such  a  purpose." 

"Mrs.  Angel  is  always  doing  good,  in  one  way  or 
another,"  said  Margaret.  "She  is  father's  cousin;  and 


120  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

we  never  go  to  see  her  but  we  find  her  with  some  benev 
olent  work  in  hand." 

"Yes,  and  one  can't  be  with  her  without  catching 
some  of  her  enthusiasm,"  added  Betsy.  "  She  has  two 
looms  running,  and  I  have  promised  to  send  her  all  my 
spinnings  to  be  woven  into  blankets  and  blouses.  I  am 
so  glad  there  is  something  I  can  do  to  help." 

"Thee  is  like  thy  kinswoman,  Miss  Patience  Sylves 
ter,"  said  Lucinda.  "  I've  heard  grandmother  say  that 
once,  when  some  one  remarked  that  she  must  be  very 
proud  of  the  family  wrealth  and  her  own  goodly  belong 
ings,  she  answered,  '  No,  I  am  not  proud  of  my  father's 
ships,  nor  of  our  fine  linen  and  costly  wardrobes  ;  but  I 
am  proud  of  one  thing  —  I  know  how  to  spin.'' 

"Yes,  I  have  heard  the  story,"  said  Betsy,  with  a 
laugh.  "It  is  one  of  our  family  heirlooms,  and  I've 
always  been  proud  that  she  had  so  much  sense.  She 
married  Mr.  Benjamin  L'Hommedieu,  who  fell  in  love 
with  her  one  Sunday  morning,  on  seeing  her  seated  un 
der  a  canopy  on  a  barge,  with  six  negroes  at  the  oars. 
There  was  no  church  on  Shelter  Island  at  that  time,  and 
the  family  attended  services  at  Southold.  It  has  always 
seemed  to  me  such  a  pretty  romance.  Oh  !  here  comes 
father." 

"I  wish  thee  could  stay  over  till  next  week,"  said 
Lucinda. 

But  Mr.  Dering  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  this  proposition. 

"The  times  are  too  uncertain,"  he  said.  "The  ene 
my's  fleet  may  appear  in  the  bay  at  any  hour." 

Margaret  was  more  fortunate  ;  for  it  was  so  near  night 


AN  EMBARGO.  121 

when  her  father  came  for  her,  that  Lucinda  had  no 
trouble  in  persuading  him  to  leave  her. 

Sag  Harbor  at  that  time  was  merely  a  hamlet ;  and  the 
handful  of  houses  —  scarcely  more  than  a  baker's  dozen, 
all  told  —  were  clustered,  the  most  of  them,  in  the  vicin 
ity  of  the  long  wharf.  But  it  was  a  stirring  little  place, 
the  coming  and  going  of  vessels  from  the  neighboring 
ports  serving  to  give  it  an  air  of  enterprise  and  impor 
tance  that  made  it  the  envy  of  the  Hamptons.  Besides, 
it  had  already  opened  a  trade  with  the  West  Indies ;  and 
plans  had  been  formed  for  a  large  increase  of  shipping, 
and  an  extension  of  the  whaling  business.  But  all  these 
projects  had  come  to  a  stop,  for  there  was  no  longer  any 
safety  on  either  land  or  sea. 

But  the  people  still  went  to  church. 

"  Hark  !  "  Margaret  cried,  when  on  Sunday  morning 
the  beating  of  a  drum  broke  the  stillness.  "  Is  that  an 
alarm?  or  do  your  people  train  on  Lord's  Day?" 

"  No,  indeed,  it  is  a  peace  call  thee  hears,"  answered 
Lucinda,  who  wras  carefully  bowing  under  her  pretty 
chin  the  dove-colored  ribbons  of  her  prim  Quaker  bon 
net.  "It  is  the  only  way  they  have  of  letting  the  people 
know  that  it  is  meeting-time." 

The  meeting-house  l  was  a  huge,  barn-like  building, 
planned,  evidently,  with  the  expectation  of  an  increase 
in  the  population ;  and,  like  most  of  the  early  places  of 
worship,  it  was  set  on  the  pinnacle  of  a  hill,  exposed  to 
the  full  force  of  every  stormy  blast.  The  walls  and  ceil- 

1  This  church,  dating  from  1768,  stood  until  1817,  when  it  was  pulled  down. 
The  one  erected  in  its  place  is  now  the  Masonic  Hall. 


AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

ing  were  unplastered,  and  the  seats  were  like  millstones 
in  their  hard,  cold  comfort  ;  but  the  little  congregation 
drew  close  together,  and,  hovering  over  the  foot-stoves, 
listened  with  conscientious  attention  to  a  sermon  written 
half  a  century  before  by  one  of  the  old  New  England 
divines.  The  sermon  was  somewhat  heavy  ;  but  it  was 
read  by  Mr.  Samuel  L'Hommedieu,  and  his  magnetic 
voice  held  his  hearers  until  the  last  "head''  was  dis 
posed  of.  But  when  they  stood  up  to  sing,  there  were 
some  who  forgot  to  join  in  the  hymn  :  for  they  could  see 
from  the  high,  narrow  windows  the  wide  sweep  of  the 
bay,  and  the  temptation  to  scan  the  waters  for  a  sail  was 
too  strong  to  be  resisted.  When  the  service  was  over, 
cold  as  they  were,  they  lingered  to  shake  hands  ;  but 
instead  of  commenting  on  the  weather,  and  making 
neighborly  inquiries  concerning  each  other's  health, 
every  one  asked  anxiously  for  the  latest  war  news. 

As  the  two  girls  went  shivering  down  the  hill,  Cap 
tain  Ephraim  Fordham  came  hurrying  after  them  to  give 
Margaret  a  message  for  her  father.  He  was  an  old 
friend,  and  Margaret  was  a  favorite  with  him. 

"Tell  him  that  I  expect  to  sail  bright  and  earlv  on 
Wednesday  morning,  if  wind  and  tide  are  favorable," 
he  said.  "  And  see  here,  little  woman,"  he  added,  "  if 
any  time  you  want  to  go  across  to  see  your  friends  in 
New  London,  just  let  me  know.  I'll  probably  be  cruis 
ing  round  somewhere  betwixt  here  and  the  Thames." 

Margaret  thanked  him,  thinking  that  there  was  little 
likelihood  of  her  going  beyond  the  Harbor  while  the  war 
lasted.  But  she  was  not  a  sibyl. 


A  MOONLIGHT   WALK.  123 


CHAPTER   XII.      . 

A    MOONLIGHT    WALK. 

Congress  approves  of  the  embargo?  "  said  John 
Thurston,  three  weeks  later,  to  his  brother-in- 
law,  who  had  just  returned  from  New  York  in  Captain 
Fordham's  sloop. 

"  Yes,  and  recommends  it  to  be  made  general  through 
out  the  country." 

"I  like  that,"  said  Thnrston.  "It  looks  as  if  they 
were  really  intending  to  send  the  promised  troops,  and 
wanted  us  to  be  prepared  to  feed  them." 

"  Oh  !  they  are  going  to  stand  by  us.  And  how  soon 
we  may  have  need  of  their  protection,  God  knows. 
Squire  Wickham  says  it  is  thought  that  there  is  some 
new  enterprise  on  foot  among  the  British.  What  it  is 
has  not  yet  come  to  light,  and  the  uncertainty  makes 
every  one  anxious.  I  stayed  with  Brother  Erastus. 
Poor  fellow !  he  is  still  bedridden  from  the  injuries 
that  so  nearly  ended  his  life  at  the  taking  of  Quebec  ; 
but,  like  hundreds  of  other  New  York  patriots,  he  says 
that  all  that  he  has  is  at  the  service  of  the  colonies." 

"Aaron  Neale  !  "  shrieked  Prudence,  bursting  into  the 
room  in  her  best  bonnet  and  gown,  for  it  was  Monday 
afternoon  —  an  afternoon  which,  from  the  beginning,  the 


124  A^  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Hampton  housewives  had  devoted  to  social  visiting,  and 
the  woman  that  failed  to  have  her  washing  out  in  time 
for  this  interchange  of  neighborly  civilities  was  looked 
upon  as  a  very  lax  housekeeper — "if  you  don't  want 
that  girl  of  yours  killed  outright,  do,  for  mercy  sake,  go 
out  to  the  pasture-lot,  and  forbid  her  trying  to  ride  that 
colt !  " 

"The  colt!  "  cried  John  Thurston.  "  She  might  as 
well  undertake  to  ride  a  wild  steer." 

But  when  they  reached  the  pasture-lot,  instead  of  find 
ing  Lord  Lion  with  his  heels  in  the  air,  they  found  him 
pacing  proudly  across  the  enclosure,  obedient  to  the 
lightest  touch  on  the  reins. 

"  Well,  well,  that  isn't  so  bad,"  said  Aaron  Neale. 

But  the  next  minute  Lion  broke  into  a  gallop,  and 
went  flying  past  them  as  if  trying  to  outstrip  some  unseen 
rival. 

"There  now,  see  that !  "  exclaimed  Ben.  "  I  told  her 
she  ought  to  let  me  ride  him  first.  She  thinks  because 
he  has  let  Lod  Brewster  ride  him  round  the  lot  once  or 
twice  that  he's  all  right.  That's  as  much  as  girls  know 
about  breaking  a  colt." 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  do  stop  the  brute!  He'll  be 
the  death  of  her !  "  cried  Prudence,  in  genuine  alarm ; 
while  Betty  Osgood,  who  was  spending  the  afternoon 
with  Margaret,  stood  wringing  her  hands,  speechless 
with  terror. 

"  Yo's  better  let  Wick  turn  he'p  yo',  my  dirl,"  pipec1 
Rick,  who,  astride  the  bars,  was  watching  proceedings 
with  white-rimmed  eyes. 


A  MOONLIGHT   WALK. 

"  Quit  clat  nonsense,  yo'  young  chipmunk,"  chided 
Hagar,  catching  him  by  the  shoulder.  "  Yo'  want  to 
he'p  Miss  Marge  go  ridin'  to  her  def?" 

"  Don't  be  'frightened,  friends.  Margaret  can  man 
age  him,"  called  Lodowick  Brewster,  joining  the  anx 
ious  group  at  the  bars.  Lion,  at  the  same  instant, 
whether  of  his  own  free  will,  or  at  a  hint  from  his  mis 
tress,  no  one  knew,  faced  about,  and  presently,  sidling 
up  like  a  frisky  kitten,  laid  his  nose  in  Brewster's  hand. 

<*  That  was  well  done,  Marjorie,"  said  the  young 
man,  lifting  her  from  the  saddle.  "You  are  making 
good  progress." 

"  Thou  hast  stolen  a  march  on  us,  little  one,"  said  her 
grandfather,  who,  bareheaded,  had  followed  the  others 
out.  "  I  wonder  that  thou  hadst  the  courage  to  do  it." 

"  Oh  !  there  was  nothing  to  be  afraid  of,"  the  girl  ans 
wered,  brushing  the  loosened  curls  from  her  rosy  face. 
"  Lion  minds  so  readily,  and  Lodowick  has  taught  me 
how  to  keep  him  in  hand.  I  only  wanted  to  let  Betty 
see  how  gentle  he  is.  Grandpa,  you  will  take  cold 
without  your  hat." 

"  Lion  is  very  easily  governed  by  any  one  he  likes," 
said  Brewster,  quietly  taking  off  his  hat,  and  putting  it 
on  the  old  man's  head. 

"  I  am  sure  I  shouldn't  dare  to  mount  him,"  protested 
Betty.  "When  I  ride,  I  want  it  to  be  on  a  pillion  be 
hind  some  one  wrho  knows  how-to  manage  a  horse." 

"That's  the  only  proper  way  for  a  woman  to  ride," 
said  Prudence,  severely. 

"It's  the  safer  way,  without  doubt,  if  Lion  were  able 


126  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

to  carry  double,"  Aaron  Neale  replied,  as  he  smoothed 
Meg's  hair;  "but  it 'will  do  her  no  harm  to  know  how 
to  ride  alone,  especially  in  times  like  these." 

"  Pretty  times,  indeed,  when  a  staid  old  Quaker  goes 
masquerading  in  a  soldier's  hat,"  said  her  grandfather, 
holding  himself  very  erect  as  he  turned  toward  the 
house. 

"You  dear  old  gran'dad  !  "  cried  Margaret,  slipping 
her  arm  through  his,  "if  it  were  not  for  your  gray  hairs, 
I  believe  you  would  put  one  on  in  earnest." 

"I  should  be  sorely  tempted  to,  child.  More  than 
one  of  the  Society  have  done  it.  I  have  just  had  a 
letter  from  our  kinswoman,  Mary  Bowne  of  Flushing, 
saying  that  both  her  husband  and  son,  two  of  our 
stanchest  members,  have  severed  their  connection  with 
the  Friends,  and  gone  into  the  army ;  and  if  I  were  a 
few  years  younger,  I  know  not  but  I  might  follow  their 
example.  But  it  is  better  as  it  is,  perhaps.  If  the  others 
have  to  go,  thou  mayst  need  me,  little  one." 

"To  be  sure  I  shall.  I  shall  always  need  you,  grand 
pa,"  said  the  girl,  with  a  shiver,  though  the  day  was  as 
mild  as  mid-April ;  and  when  they  reached  the  house, 
she  suffered  her  father  to  take  back  the  hat  to  Brewster, 
who  was  walking  behind  with  Betty. 

During  the  afternoon  there  had  been  vapory  racks 
scudding  at  intervals  across  the  sky  ;  but  toward  night 
these  broke  away,  leaving  a  clear  red  glow  along  the 
horizon. 

"  The  wind  is  sou'west,  and  there  is  going  to  be  a  fine 
surf,"  said  Brewster,  who  had  very  willingly  consented 


A  MOONLIGHT  WALK.  12*] 

to  stay  to  supper ;  "I  think  it  would  repay  us  to  take  a 
run  to  the  beach." 

A  full  moon,  high  in  the  east,  lent  its  enticement  to 
this  proposition ;  and,  although  Prudence  declared  that 
they  must  all  be  crazy  to  want  to  go  rambling  on  the 
shore  at  that  time  of  year,  the  girls  eagerly  put  on  their 
wraps. 

When  they  returned,  Betty,  on  reaching  the  gate,  said 
that  it  was  time  for  her  to  go  home  ;  whereupon  Brewster 
promptly  offered  himself  as  her  escort. 

"  Come  with  us,  Majorie,"  he  urged.  "  The  evening 
is  too  fine  to  be  spent  in-doors." 

Betty,  dearly  as  she  loved  her  cousin,  made  but  a 
faint  response  to  this  ;  but  Margaret,  seeing  that  Brews 
ter  was  really  in  earnest,  accepted  the  invitation  with 
no  suspicion  that  Betty  would  have  preferred  to  have 
her  decline  it. 

"  See  what  a  circle  around  the  moon,"  she  said,  when 
they  turned  to  go  back,  after  bidding  Betty  good 
night. 

"And  only  one  star  in  it,"  answered  Lodowick. 
"I'm  afraid  a  storm  is  brewing." 

"And,  according  to  the  sign,  it  is  not  far  off." 

"  No,  it  is  not  far  off.  And  another  storm  is  brewing 
in  Boston.  A  project  is  on  foot  which,  if  successful,  is 
likely  to  cause  a  tempest  in  the  enemy's  camp.  It  is  not 
yet  fully  matured." 

"  But  successful  or  unsuccessful,  it  means  more  blood 
shed,"  said  the  girl  sorrowfully.  "  How  anxious  every 
one  must  be  who  has  friends  on  either  side.  Poor  Deb- 


128  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

orah  !  Will  Bragdon,  I  suppose,  is  likely  to  be  in  the 
thick  of  it." 

"Ay,  and  for  that  I  envy  him.  Would  God  I  too 
could  be  there  !  " 

"But  you  —  you  are  needed  here,  Lodowick."  And 
between  the  words  she  caught  her  breath  with  a  gasp. 

"Yes,  for  the  present.  That  is  why  I  stay.  Other 
wise  I  should  go  to-morrow." 

"  Oh  !  but  what  would  your  sister  Frances  do  without 
you?  And  Debby,  and  —  all  of  us  ?" 

Brewster's  hand  closed  over  the  slender  fingers  that 
rested  on  his  arm. 

"  Nay,  the  question  is,  what  should  I  do  without  you, 
sweetheart?"  he  said,  looking  down  at  the  sad  young 
face.  "  Let  me  tell  you  a  story,  Margaret.  It  hap 
pened  years  ago,  when  I  was  but  an  urchin.  I  had  been 
away  with  sister  Frances,  visiting  friends  in  Jamaica ; 
and  the  morning  after  \ve  came  home,  your  Uncle  John 
told  me  that  there  was  a  baby  at  Mrs.  Neale's,  a  curly- 
headed  little  maid,  nearly  a  fortnight  old.  '  Some  day, 
if  you  are  a  good  boy,  you  can  see  her,'  he  graciously 
assured  me.  But  I  was  too  impatient  to  wait,  and  march 
ing  boldy  in,  I  told  the  nurse  that  I  wanted  to  see  Mrs. 
Neale's  baby.  The  nurse  shook  her  head,  and  said  she 
didn't  know  about  it.  But  a  voice  from  the  next  room 
called  to  her;  and  I  heard  Mrs.  Neale  say,  'Of  course 
Lodowick  can  see  the  baby.'  And  presently  the  nurse 
came  back,  bringing  something  rolled  in  a  soft  white 
blanket.  '  Now  be  careful,'  she  said,  laying  the  white 
roll  in  my  arms.  And,  when  the  blanket  was  turned 


A  MOONLIGHT   WALK.  12C) 

back,  the  little  one  opened  her  eyes,  and  cooed  to  me. 
That  was  seventeen  years  ago,  sweetheart ;  and  I  have 
loved  the  little  one  ever  since." 

It  was  a  full  minute  before  Margaret  found  her  voice. 

"But,  Lodowick,  I  thought  —  I  thought  it  was  Betty 
that  you  loved." 

"  Nay.  Betty  is  a  dear  girl,  and  \ve  are  firm  friends  ; 
but  my  heart  has  had  but  the  one  love  all  these  years. 
Perhaps  I  ought  not  to  have  told  you,"  he  went  on,  after 
a*moment's  silence,  "  not  until  these  troublous  times  are 
over  ;  but  I  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  going  into 
battle  without  your  knowing.  O  love  !  my  little  love  !  " 

The  girl  laid  her  cheek  against  his  arm.  She  did  not 
need  to  put  her  love  into  words  ;  she  was  sure  that  he 
had  known  it  always,  for  she  could  not  remember  the 
time  when  she  had  not  loved  him. 

The  street  was  deserted,  for  it  was  nearing  nine ; 
within  doors  the  fires  were  covered,  and  only  here  and 
there  a  light  gleamed  in  the  windows ;  the  graves  in  the 
little  burying-ground  were  not  stiller  than  the  homes  of 
the  living;  and  this  absolute  silence  impressed  the  lovers 
as  the  crowning  fitness  of  the  hour.  They  seemed  to 
be  walking  in  a  world  from  which  all  other  human  be 
ings  were  shut  out.  •  The  hushed  street,  flooded  with  the 
moon's  soft  radiance,  was  a  vast  cathedral  isle  ;  and,  like 
a  mighty  organ,  the  sea,  so  close  at  hand,  was  sending 
up  a  gloria. 

"Lodowick,"  said  Margaret  abruptly,  "what  will 
my  Aunt  Prudence  say?" 

"That    is    past    my  guessing,   sweetheart;  but  what 


I3O  AX  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

does  it  matter,  since  your  father  and  grandfather  have 
long  ago  given  me  a  '  godspeed  '?  But  I  am  wondering 
what  Nathaniel  will  say.  There  was  a  time  when  I 
imagined  he  was  going  to  be  the  winner  of  the  prize 
I  coveted." 

"  Oh  !  I  think  of  Nathaniel  very  much  as  I  think 
of  Ben.  He  always  calls  me  his  twin,  because  we 
are  exactly  the  same  age.  Don't  you  remember  the 
baby  at  Mrs.  Gardiner's  as  well  as  the  one  at  Mrs. 
Neale's?" 

Before  Brewster  could  give  his  reminiscence  on  this 
point,  they  espied,  loping  toward  them,  with  his  own 
black  shadow  loping  along  the  ground  beside  him,  a  tall, 
lank  figure  swathed  in  a  heavy  blanket. 

"  Big  Sam  is  late  on  the  road  to-night,"  said  Brewster. 
"What  news,  Sam?" 

"Letter,"  answered  Sam,  holding  out  a  sealed  bud 
get.  And  without  wasting  any  more  words,  he  drew 
his  blanket  together,  and  went  on. 

And  now  long  gray  pennons,  interspersed  \\it\i  ragged 
patches  of  cloud,  were  streaming  up  the  west. 

"  They  are  '  newspapers  and  mares'  tails,'  "  said  Lo- 
dowick ;  "and  clouds  of  that  sort,  according  to  sailor 
lore,  '  make  tall  vessels  lower  their  sails.'  The  storm 
will  be  here  soon." 

The  front  door  was  unfastened  ;  and  though  the  entry 
was  dark,  a  line  of  light  at  the  threshhold  on  the  west 
side  told  Margaret  that  her  grandfather  was  still  up. 

"Is  it  thou,  Margaret?"  he  asked,  peering  out,  and 
revealing  behind  him  a  cheery  fire  on  the  hearth.  ' '  Come 


A  MOONLIGHT   WALK.  131 

in,  child,  and  warm  thyself.  And  them,  too,  Lodowick. 
The  night  is  chilly." 

The  young  people  had  not  been  aware  of  any  chill 
in  the  atmosphere ;  but  the  fire  looked  inviting,  and 
Brewster  was  impatient  to  know  what  tidings  his  letter 
held. 

At  the  sound  of  their  voices,  Aaron  Neale,  roused 
from  a  nap  on  the  settle  in  the  keeping-room,  came  tip- 
toping  in  without  his  boots. 

"  News,  Lodowick?  "  he  asked  eagerly,  as  the  young 
man  lifted  his  head. 

"  It  is  a  letter  from  Nathan  Hale,  one  of  our  college 
boys.  He  was  teaching  school  in  New  London  at  the 
time  of  the  battle  of  Lexington  ;  and  he  at  once  resigned 
his  position,  and  entered  the  army.  He  writes  that  meas 
ures  are  to  be  taken  immediately  to  drive  the  enemy  out 
of  Boston." 

"  God  grant  they  rrray  carry  !  "  said  Neale,  fervently. 

"Amen  to  that  with  all  my  heart !  "  responded  Brews 
ter.  "  But  when  the  enemy  sails  out  of  Boston  Harbor, 
it  will  be  well  for  us  to  be  doubly  on  our  guard." 

"That  is  true.  Boston's  deliverance  may  bring  new 
danger  to  Long  Island,"  Aaron  Neale  said,  slowly. 
"Nevertheless,  God  speed  the  day." 

"  If  we  could  only  have  a  hand  in  it !  "  said  Brewster, 
as  he  folded  the  letter.  "It  is  torture  to  have  to  stand 
idle  when  such  issues  are  at  stake." 

"Ay,  indeed  it  is,"  answered  Neale,  following  him 
through  the  dusky  entry. 

Behind  them  came  Margaret  with  a  light. 


132  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"Shade  your  candle,  Meg,  or  the  wind  will  blow  it 
out,"  cautioned  her  father. 

But  Meg's  eyes  were  putting  the  candle  to  shame  : 
and  her  father,  perceiving  it,  and  perceiving,  too,  that 
Brewster  seemed  inclined  to  linger,  considerately  said 
good-night,  and  withdrew. 


AN   UNEXPECTED   PRIZE.  133 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

AN    UNEXPECTED    PRIZE. 

TT7HEN  Margaret  went  back  to  her  grandfather's 
\  V  room,  she  found  the  two  men  seated  before  the 
lire  ;  and  standing  between  them,  with  an  arm  over  the 
shoulder  of  each,  she  told  them,  with  a  sweet  and  seri 
ous  frankness,  that  Lodowick  Brewster  had  asked  her 
to  be  his  wife. 

"  Ah,  Meg,  you  have  won  a  man  after  mv  own  heart," 
said  her  father,  drawing  her  down  to  his  knee.  "But 
he  need  be  in  no  haste  about  claiming  you,  child.  We 
must  have  no  marrying  nor  giving  in  marriage  till  the 
war  is  over." 

"  Oh  !  he  has  no  mind  to  marry  until  peace  is  re 
stored,"  said  Margaret,  quickly. 

Her  grandfather  rose  from  his  chair,  and  laid  his  hand 
on  her  head. 

"The  Lord  bless  thee,  little  one,"  he  said,  earnestly. 

"Thank  you,  grandpa;  thank  you."  And  the  girl 
pressed  the  wrinkled  hand  lovingly  to  her  soft  young 
cheek.  "  But  we  are  keeping  you  up,"  she  said,  with  a 
catch  in  her  voice. 

"Yes,  yes,  be  off,"  said  her  father.  "  It  is  time  we 
were  all  in  bed."  But  he  took  her  in  his  arms,  and 


134  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

kissed  her  tenderly  before  he  let  her  go.  "  Good-night, 
and  God  bless  thee,  little  daughter,"  he  added  —  he  was 
prone  to  fall  back  into  the  Quaker  manner  of  speech 
when  greatly  moved.  "  Would  God  thy  mother  had 
been  spared  !  "  And  Margaret  went  up-stairs  repeating 
the  wish  with  passionate  longing. 

She  carried  no  light,  for  through  her  narrow  windows, 
with  their  diamond  panes,  the  moon  was  shining  ;  and 
she  was  not  in  the  habit  of  having  a  candle  when  there 
was  a  moon  to  see  by.  "What  was  the  moon  for,"  her 
Aunt  Prudence  had  said,  "if  not  to  save  candles?" 
And  to-night  the  tender  radiance  was  like  a  benediction. 
She  knelt  by  the  window,  and  looked  up  into  the  peace 
ful  face,  —  peaceful  and  gentle  as  that  of  a  mother. 
Oh,  for  a  mother  to  whom  to  tell  her  joy  !  There  was 
her  Aunt  Prudence  in  the  next  room  ;  and  some  time 
she  would  have  to  be  told,  but  not  to-night.  She  would 
sooner  make  old  Hagar  the  sharer  of  her  new  happi 
ness.  How  suddenly  it  had  come  to  her  !  And  how 
hard  it  was  to  realize  that  it  was  herself,  and  not  Betty, 
that  he  loved.  Poor  Betty  !  How  was  she  ever  to  tell 
her?  But  Lodowick  had  said  that  Betty  and  he  were 
fast  friends,  and  it  might  be  that  it  was  only  as  a  friend 
that  Betty  cared  for  him. 

Presently  she  became  aware  that  a  heavy  black  cloud 
was  creeping  over  the  moon,  and  that  the  wind  was  ris 
ing  ;  the  tall  pine  by  the  window  was  beginning  to  rake 
the  side  of  the  house,  and  every  shutter  groaned  and 
rattled. 

"  The  storm  is  coming,  but  —  Lodowick  loves  me," 


AN  UNEXPECTED  PRIZE.  135 

she  said  softly ;  and  with  that  thought  warm  at  her 
heart  she  went  to  sleep,  and  slept  soundly  in  spite  of 
the  wind. 

By  morning  the  gale  had  increased  to  a  tempest. 

"  It  is  a  good  day  for  spinning,"  she  said ;  and  to  the 
rush  of  the  storm  without  and  the  whir  of  the  wheel  within, 
her  heart  sang  over  and  over,  "  Lodowick  loves  me." 

In  the  afternoon  Lodowick  himself,  dripping  like  a 
merman,  came  to  the  door.  But  though  Margaret  had 
fyeen  watching  for  him,  her  Aunt  Prudence,  who  chanced 
at  the  moment  to  be  hurrying  down  the  stairs,  reached 
the  door  ahead  of  her. 

"Thank  you,  I  am  too  wet  to  come  in,"  he  said,  in 
response  to  Mrs.  Golby's  formal  invitation  to  enter.  "I 
stopped  merely  to  say  that  the  report  received  last  night 
has  been  officially  confirmed." 

Though  he  was  quite  honest  in  making  this  statement, 
he  had  hoped  to  make  it  to  some  one  else,  and  he  heartily 
wished  that  Mistress  Golby  had  staid  up-stairs.  But  sud 
denly,  behind  Mrs.  Golby,  who  was  keeping  an  appre 
hensive  eye  on  his  muddy  boots,  there  was  a  vision  of  a 
slim  figure  poised  on  the  threshold,  with  the  blaze  on  the 
hearth  for  a  background  ;  and  with  a  light  in  his  eyes 
that  was  sweeter  than  a  caress,  he  bowed  with  uncovered 
head,  and  was  gone. 

On  the  following  morning  the  storm  was  still  rioting. 
From  the  shore,  mingling  with  the  tumult  of  the  wind 
and  rain,  came  the  roar  of  the  breakers ;  and  Margaret, 
standing  at  her  window',  saw  that  great  white-tufted 
wraves  were  breaking  over  the  Shark's  Head. 


136  AH  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  It  must  have  been  a  rough  night  at  sea,"  she  said  to 
herself. 

At  the  breakfast-table  the  weather  was  the  first  thing 
spoken  of;  but,  like  every  other  subject  that  chanced  to 
come  up,  it  ended  with  the  war. 

"  If  the  wind  rages  like  this  in  Boston  Bay, "said  Aaron 
Neale,  "  the  enemy's  shipping  will  be  likely  to  suffer." 

"  In  all  probability  it  is  quite  as  severe  there  as  here," 
answered  John  Thurston.  "It  is  an  east  storm."1 

And  then  they  fell  to  wondering  what  method  Wash 
ington  would  be  likely  to  adopt  to  dislodge  the  enemy, 
and  whether  or  not  the  attack  had  already  begun. 

A  little  later,  as  Margaret  sat  spinning,  Brewster 
drove  up  in  a  two-seated  wagon.  The  Committee,  he 
said,  had  just  received  word  from  Montaukett  that  a  ship 
had  come  ashore  in  the  night. 

"It  is  the  prize-ship  Sally,"  he  added.  "She  was  at 
one  time  owned  bv  parties  in  New  York,  but  had  been 
captured  by  the  British  ;  and  here  she  lies,  stranded  at 
our  door,  with  fourteen  redcoats  on  board,  besides  the 
captain.  Old  Job  brought  the  news.  The  Committee 
has  ordered  them  to  be  taken  into  custody,  and  Squire 
Hedges  wished  me  to  call  for  your  father  and  Captain 
Thurston  to  go  with  me  to  the  Point." 

"What's  that,  Lodowick  ? "  inquired  Aaron  Neale, 
coming  in  with  his  brother-in-law  while  Lodowick  was 

o 

speaking.      "The  Sally,  did  you  say?  " 

"Ay,  the  Sally,  with  crew  and  captain.  It's  a  rare 
prize,  too."  l 

1  See  Gardiner's  "  Chronicles  of  Easthampton." 


AN  UNEXPECTED  PRIZE.  137 

"Ay,  it  is  that,"  said  John  Thurston.  And  then  the 
three  men  hurried  off. 

At  the  edge  of  the  desert  they  overtook  Job  Lumley, 
mounted  on  a  limping  gray  nag. 

"Your  beast  looks  jaded,  Job,"  said  Brewster.  "Tie 
her  on  behind,  and  jump  in.  You'll  find  it  rather  more 
comfortable  than  plodding  against  this  wind  on  horse 
back." 

"  Thank  y',  sir,  I  don't  mind  if  I  do,"  Job  answered. 
"A.  man  ain't  got  any  right  to  be  ridin'  a  limpin'  animal." 

"So  at  last  the  British  have  landed  at  Montaukett," 
remarked  John  Thurston,  as  Job  climbed  over  the  back 
board. 

"Ay,  they  have  that,  Cap'n,"  chuckled  Job;  "an' 
as  many  more  can  Ian'  in  the  same  way  as  the  Lord  sees 
fitten  to  send.  We  won't  hinder  'em." 

But  freely  as  the  jests  were  bandied  by  the  way,  the 
Committee,  on  reaching  the  stranded  vessel,  went  about 
its  business  gravely ;  and,  after  a  careful  examination 
had  been  made  and  minuted,  it  was  decided  to  send  the 
shipwrecked  crew  under  guard  to  New  York. 

"  It's  a  good  day's  work,"  said  Burnet  Miller,  rubbing 
his  hands  with  satisfaction. 

"  Yes,"  responded  Colonel  Gardiner  ;  "  but  our  action 
in  the  matter  is  not  likely  to  bring  us  any  increase  of 
favor  with  Governor  Tryon.  The  captain  of  the  Sally 
is  mate  of  the  Asia,"  he  added  significantly. 

"  Oho,  I  see,"  said  Miller.  "  But  if  reports  be  true 
concerning  the  governor,  we  can  do  without  his  favor. 
It's  a  bad  record  he  is  making  for  himself  of  late." 


138  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

A    BRAVE    DEFENCE. 

THE  force  commissioned  to  conduct  the  crew  of  the 
Sally  to  New  York  had  been  gone  but  a  day  or 
two  when  an  official  message  was  received,  instructing 
the  Committee  to  post  sentinels  at  once  on  the  Point  to 
keep  watch  for  the  approach  of  sails,  as  there  were  in 
dications  that  some  of  the  British  ships  were  preparing 
to  leave  Boston  Harbor. 

But,  for  more  than  a  week,  the  watchmen  on  Montau- 
kett,  keeping  their  faithful  outlook  through  the  rough 
March  weather,  discovered  nothing  to  cause  alarm.  Then 
on  the  22d  of  that  eventful  month,  twenty  square-rigged 
vessels  were  descried ;  but  the  fleet,  instead  of  making 
for  Montauk,  kept  steadily  on  its  way,  standing,  appar 
ently,  for  Rhode  Island. 

"  That's  nuthin'  but  a  blind,"  said  Olin  Dole.  "  Be 
fore  we  know  it,  they'll  wheel  about,  and  be  down  on  us 
hot  an'  heavy." 

Olin  was  not  alone  in  this  opinion,  and  a  renewed 
entreaty  for  men  and  ammunition  accompanied  the  in 
formation  concerning  the  movement  of  the  ileet,  that  was 
at  once  despatched  to  Congress. 

A  week  later  the  guard  of  the  Sally's  crew,  returning 


A   BRAVE  DEFENCE.  139 

safely  from  the  city,  brought  the  stirring  news  that 
Washington's  troops  on  Dorchester  Heights  had  forced 
the  enemy  to  abandon  Boston. 

"They  say  that  when  the  British  found  that  our  army 
was  in  possession  of  the  Heights,"  said  Aaron  Neale, 
"they  began  at  once  to  prepare  for  action ;  but  the  Lord 
seems  to  have  been  on  our  side,  for  the  same  storm  that 
brought  the  Sally  ashore  at  Montauk  delayed  the  attack, 
and  before  the  skies  cleared  our  works  had  become  so 
strongly  fortified  that  no  choice  was  left  the  British  but 
to  evacuate.  The  exodus  was  made  in  haste,  and  to-day 
our  troops  are  in  possession  of  the  town." 

"Thank  God  it  was  a  victory  won  without  blood 
shed  ! "  ejaculated  the  old  Quaker. 

"Ay,  ay,  father,"  responded  Aaron,  "though  won  by 
force  of  arms,  it  was  by  arms  that  had  guided  the  plough 
and  swung  the  axe  ;  and  to  be  beaten  in  such  fashion 
must  have  been  doubly  galling  to  the  boastful  redcoats." 

"Those  who  felt  the  most  badly  beaten,  I  imagine," 
said  Brewster,  "were  the  Americans  who  had  looked 
to  the  British  for  protection,  and  who,  in  the  precipitate 
flight,  were  obliged  literally  to  '  paddle  their  own 
canoes.'  And  some  who  were  equally  unhappy,  no 
doubt,  were  those  that  had  been  standing,  — 

'One  foot  within  their  country's   pale, 
And  t'other  in  the  redcoats'   camp,'  '' 

he  added,  with  a  smile,  having  parodied  a  familiar  coup 
let  on  the  "  Half-way  Covenanters."  * 

l  See  note  on  the  following  page. 


140  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Served  'em  right,"  said  Silas  Post,  who  had  come  in 
midway  in  the  rehearsal ;  "  when  a  man's  such  a  simple 
ton  as  to  try  to  carry  two  watermelons  under  one  arm, 
he'll  lose  both  of  'em,  sure  as  preachin'  ;  and  that's  what 
a  good  many  of  the  natives  are  tryin'  to  do  jes'  now." 

"Ay,  and  they  deserve  to  lose  them,  Silas,"  answered 
John  Thurston.  "  I  have  scant  pity  for  any  American 
who  at  this  stage  of  affairs  tries  to  curry  favor  with  the 
enemy.  He  well  merits  whatever  misfortune  comes  to 
him." 

"  Have  a  care,  John  Thurston,"  warned  Prudence 
Golby.  "  Because  the  rebels  have  succeeded  in  driving 
His  Majesty's  troops  out  of  Boston,  it  doesn't  follow  that 
they  have  driven  them  out  of  the  country  ;  and  there's 
no  telling  how  soon  they  may  turn  the  tables  on  their 
adversaries." 

"That  is  very  true,  Prudence,"  replied  Thurston,  in 
his  blandest  tones;  "and  our  chief  anxiety  now  is  to 
know  where  the  retreating  squadrons  purpose  landing. 
In  all  probability  the  vessels  sighted  by  our  Montauk 
sentinels  belong  to  them  ;  and  no  doubt  we  shall  wake- 
up  some  line  morning  to  find  them  riding  at  anchor  in 
our  own  roadstead.'' 

"And  with  none  of  the  promised  troops  at  hand  for 
our  protection,  I'm  afraid,"  said  Aaron  Neale. 

But  this  fear,  which  had  been  the  only  drawback  to 

"  One  foot  within  the  church's  pale, 
And  t'other  out-of-doors." 

The  "  Half-way  Covenanters  "  were  those  who.  though  not  members  of  the  church, 
insisted  on  having  their  children  baptized,  and  had  caused  much  dissension  in  the 
Easthampton  church. 


A  BRAVE  DEFENCE.  141 

their  joy  in  Boston's  deliverance,  was  greatly  lessened 
by  the  intelligence,  a  day  or  two  later,  that  Congress 
had  instructed  Brigadier-General  Woodhull  to  hold  the 
militia  of  his  brigade  in  readiness  to  go  at  a  moment's 
notice  to  the  defence  of  the  stock  on  Montauk ;  and  the 
sentinels  continued  their  watch  with  better  heart. 

"We're  much  obleeged  to  'em,  anyhow,  for  keepin' 
away  till  March  got  through  rampagin',"  said  Silas ;  for 
March  had  merged  into  April,  and  it  was  easier  watch 
ing  under  the  softened  skies;  "but  if  they  don't  come 
putty  quick,  some  of  us  '11  have  to  be  turnin'  our  swords 
into  ploughshares,  or  we  sha'n't  git  the  spring  plantin' 
done,  an'  it  begins  to  look  now  as  if  they'd  concluded  to 
give  us  the  go-by." 

But  suddenly,  one  morning,  through  a  fast  gathering 
fog,  the  sentinels  discovered  sails  on  the  sea  to  the  south, 
and  sails  in  the  bay  to  the  north. 

It  was  "  Lord's  Day."  The  church-bell  was  through 
tolling,  the  people  were  in  their  pews,  and  Priest  Buell, 
in  his  flowing  wig  and  clerical  gown,  with  his  hour-glass 
beside  the  Bible,  had  begun  to  read  the  opening  hymn. 
The  hymn  was  one  that  was  written  by  the  old  Mohegan 
preacher,  Sampson  Occum,  who  had  at  onetime  labored 
as  a  missionary  among  the  Shinnecock  and  Montauk 
tribes ;  and  Priest  Buell  held  it  in  high  esteem.  He 
read  slowly  and  with  fine  emphasis:  — 

"Awaked  by  Sinai's  awful  sound;" 

and  the  people,  with  their  open  hymn-books  in  their 
hands,  followed  him  with  reverent  attention.  He  had 


142  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

barely  reached  the  end  of  the  second  stanza,  when, 
with  the  suddenness  of  an  earthquake,  a  burst  of  can- 
nonry  shook  the  meeting-house,  and  brought  the  wor 
shippers  to  their  feet. 

For  an  instant  the  preacher  paused,  with  his  keen 
eyes  kindling.  Then,  "It  is  doubtless  only  another 
false  alarm,"  he  said,  trying  to  speak  calmly ;  and 
motioning  them  to  be  seated,  he  began  with  a  resolute 
voice  the  third  stanza,  — 

"Again  did  Sinai's  thunders  roll." 

But  at  the  same  moment  another  roar  came  up  from 
the  Meadows,  and  some  one  on  the  street  was  heard 
shouting  wildly,  — 

"  The  British  are  landing  !  They're  landing  at  Mon- 
tauk  ! " 

The  cry  went  from  mouth  to  mouth  ;  and,  dropping 
their  hymn-books,  the  people  dashed  out  of  the  meeting 
house  with  blanched  faces. 

It  was  useless,  at  that  late  hour,  to  think  of  sending 
for  Woodhull's  militia ;  but  there  was  no  thought  of  sur 
render.  The  village  flew  to  arms.  Even  Priest  Buell, 
throwing  aside  his  gown  and  bands,  hastened  to  gird 
himself  for  carnal  warfare. 

"  Give  me  forty  men,"  cried  Captain  John  Dayton, 
"  and  we'll  march  straight  to  the  Meadows,  and  do 
what  we  can  to  save  the  stock." 

Forty  men  responded  to  the  call,  with  no  dallying ; 
and,  armed  with  whatever  weapons  came  first  to  hand, 
the  brave  company  of  volunteers  set  off  with  all  speed 


THE  PEOPLE  DASHED  OUT  OF  THE  MEETING-HOUSE  .   .  EVEN  PRIEST 


BUELL    HASTENED    TO    GIRU    HIMSELF    FOR    CARNAL    WARFARE. 


A   BRAVE  DEFENCE.  143 

through  the  dense  fog  for  Montauk.  They  were  scarcely 
out  of  the  village  when  another  roar  came  up  from  the 
Point,  but  it  served  only  to  quicken  the  march. 

"Wheel"  whistled  Ben,  who,  with  Margaret,  was 
standing  at  the  gate;  "hear  that,  Meg?  They've  come 
this  time,  sure  pop.  Say,  Meg,  run  in  and  get  my  gun, 
won't  you?  And  slip  out,  if  you  can,  without  letting 
mother  see  you.  I  don't  want  to  worry  her;  but,  if 
there's  any  fighting  going  on,  they'll  need  every  gun 
that  can  be  mustered,  and  a  man  behind  it." 

"Of  course  you  ought  to  go,  Ben.  I'd  go  myself  if 
I  could,"  said  the  girl,  in  hearty  sympathy  with  him. 
"But  I'm  afraid  Aunt  Prudence  wouldn't  approve  of  it." 

At  the  house  she  had  the  good  fortune  to  meet  no  one 
but  her  grandfather. 

O 

"  It's  for  Ben,  grandpa,"  she  explained,  as  she  took 
the  gun  from  its  hooks.  "Ben  thinks  he  may  be  needed  ; 
and  if,  presently,  you'll  tell  Aunt  Prudence,  it  will  be  all 
right." 

"Thou  art  wise,  little  one,"  said  the  old  Quaker,  his 
blue  eyes  twinkling.  "Presently  I  will  do  thy  bidding." 

On  going  back  she  found  Ben  in  the  barnyard,  exult 
antly  bestriding  Lord  Lion. 

"Mayn't  I  ride  him,  Meg?"  he  entreated.  "I  can 
manage  him  easy  enough,  and  I  shall  get  there  so  much 
quicker." 

Before  Meg  could  answer,  Lord  Lion  was  on  his 
haunches,  and  Ben  found  himself  in  a  heap  at  his 
heels. 

"  Lord  Lion  objects,"  she  said,  with  a  laugh,  as  Ben 


144  ^N  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

picked  himself  up  unhurt.  "Here's  your  gun,  and 
grandpa  is  to  tell  Aunt  Prudence — presently." 

There  was  no  time  for  arguing ;  and  seizing  his  rusty 
fowling-piece,  Ben  started  off  on  a  run. 

"  O  Lion,  Lion,  if  I  were  only  a  man — just  for  to 
day  !  "  sighed  the  girl,  with  her  arm  over  Lion's  neck. 

"  What,  dost  thou,  too,  mean  to  go,  Margaret?"  asked 
her  grandfather,  coming  to  the  barnyard  bars. 

Margaret  flashed  a  quick  look  at  him. 

"  It  is  what  I  want  to  do,  grandpa,  if  you  don't  mind. 
And  I'll  promise  not  to  venture  very  near,  unless  some 
one  should  be  wounded ;  in  that  case  I  might  be 
needed." 

"Then  I  must  go  with  thee,"  he  said,  hurrying  into 
the  stable ;  and  by  the  time  she  had  Lord  Lion  re- 
saddled,  old  Vic  was  led  out,  ready  to  be  mounted. 

"  I  verily  believe  he  was  meaning  to  go,  dear  old 
gran'dad,"  said  the  girl  to  herself,  noticing  for  the  first 
time  that  he  had  on  his  long  drab  overcoat  and  woollen 
muffler  ;  and  that  huge  bundle  projecting  from  his  pocket 
was  surely  nothing  less  than  a  roll  of  soft  linen  ! 

"A  fine  chase  this  thou'rt  leading  me  in  my  old  age," 
he  growled  gently,  as  he  lengthened  the  stirrup ;  but 
the  alacrity  with  which,  in  spite  of  his  years,  he  sprung 
to  the  saddle,  satisfied  her  that  he  was  very  willing 

»  <T> 

to  go. 

"Prudence  was  not  at  home  when  I  left  the  house," 
he  remarked,  as  they  rode  through  the  gateway,  "  so  I 
was  not  able  to  tell  her  of  Ben's  going." 

"Perhaps  she,  too,  has  started  for  the  Meadows  — 


A  BRAVE  DEFENCE.  145 

who  knows?"  said  Margaret,  demurely.  But  while  she 
was  congratulating  herself  on  their  getting  off  unhin 
dered,  a  shrill  voice  was  heard  behind  them. 

"  Well,  of  all  things  !     And  on  the  Lord's  Day,  too  !  " 

"  We  are  on  the  Lord's  errand,  Prudence,"  called  the 
old  man,  without  turning. 

He  was  used  to  the  saddle.  Until  very  lately  he  had 
been  accustomed  to  go  every  year  on  old  Vic  to  Jamaica 
and  Flushing,  to  be  present  at  the  Friends'  meetings  ; 
arfd  the  horse  knew  his  master. 

Lord  Lion  was  at  first  disposed  to  do  a  little  curvet 
ing  and  prancing,  but  under  Margaret's  quieting  hand 
he  was  soon  pacing  beside  Vic  with  the  dignity  of  a 
veteran. 

"  He  is  a  fine  animal,"  said  her  grandfather,  with  the 
appreciation  of  a  genuine  horseman;  "  but  he  is  young 
yet  for  the  saddle." 

"  Oh,  Lodowick  says  it  will  do  him  no  harm,  if  it  is 
not  kept  on  too  long  at  a  time." 

A  thundering  of  cannon,  louder  than  any  that  had  pre 
ceded  it,  made  both  horses  prick  up  their  ears,  but  that 
was  all.  Lord  Lion  took  it  as  coolly  as  old  Vic. 

"See  what  a  sensible  horse  he  is,  grandpa.  He 
doesn't  flinch  an  atom,"  said  Margaret,  passing  her  hand 
over  the  glossy  mane. 

"Ay,  he  has  good  blood  in  him,  and  he  comes  of  a 
breed  used  to  the  sounds  of  war." 

"Oh,  faster,  grandpa,  faster!"  urged  the  girl,  as 
again  the  earth  was  shaken  with  the  boom  of  guns. 

"  Come,  then,"  said  her  grandfather,  giving  Vic  the 


146  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

rein  ;  and  neck  and  neck  the  two  went  galloping  through 
the  fog. 

At  intervals  they  passed  people  hurrying  along  on 
foot,  some  alone,  others  in  companies  ;  not  many  voices 
were  heard,  there  was  no  breath  to  waste  in  talk ;  but 
they  were  half-way  to  the  Point  before  they  overtook 
Ben. 

"  Thou'rt  making  good  time,  Benjamin,"  shouted  his 
grandfather,  but  there  was  no  slackening  of  speed. 

"  Poor  Ben  !  If  only  Lion  were  strong  enough  to 
carry  two  !  "  sighed  Margaret.  Whether  her  grand 
father  heard  the  sigh  or  not  she  never  knew,  but  suddenly 
he  wheeled  about. 

"  Here,  Benjamin,  come  take  my  place,"  he  called. 
"  I  have  ridden  far  enough,  and  shall  be  glad  to  try  my 
feet  again." 

Ben  came  up  eagerly,  in  the  act  of  taking  his  gun 
from  his  shoulder  ;  but  the  next  minute  he  was  ashamed 
of  himself. 

"Oh!  go  on,  go  on,  grandfather,"  he  cried;  "I'm 
better  able  to  walk  than  you  are." 

"  Nay,  honestly,  Benjamin,  the  saddle  wearies  me," 
said  the  old  man,  getting  down  stiffly,  and  stooping  to 
rub  his  knees.  "Leave  me  to  forge  along  at  my  own 
gait ;  and  when  thou  hast  found  out  how  the  battle  is 
going,  thou  canst  ride  back  and  report.  Here,  take 
this  with  thee,  Margaret,  and  remember  to  keep  at  a 
safe  distance  from  the  enemy."  And  he  thrust  into 
Margaret's  hand  the  roll  of  old  linen. 

"  Isn't  he  a  darling?"  cried  the  girl,  as  Ben  adjusted 


A  BRAVE  DEFENCE.  1 47 

his  gun,  and  thrust  his  feet  into  the  stirrups.  "  Now  I 
know  why  he  was  so  ready  to  come  ;  'twas  for  nothing 
in  the  world  but  to  bring  you  Vic." 

"  Much  obleeged  to  him,"  said  Ben.  "  See,  he  was 
a  boy  himself  once,  and  knows  how  a  boy  feels  when 
he  hears  guns  and  cannon.  Now  then,  Vic !  " 

The  fog  was  lifting,  and  soon  they  began  to  notice 
that  the  firing  was  becoming  less  frequent. 

"  Be  all  over  with  'fore  we  get  there,"  muttered  Ben, 
digging  his  spurless  heels  into  old  Vic's  sides.  And 
Meg,  seeing  that  Vic  was  beginning  to  lose  his  wind, 
drew  in  the  reins,  and  did  her  best  to  keep  Lord  Lion 
from  going  ahead  of  him. 

"  Here's  some  one  coming  this  way,"  she  cried  pres 
ently.  "Why,  it's  little  Patsy  Lumley,  driving  her  red 
heifer.  What's  the  trouble,  Patsy?" 

"O  Miss  Marg'et,"  wailed  Patsy,  lifting  a  woful  but 
determined  little  face,  all  wet  with  tears,  "the  red 
coats  'av'  come ;  they've  come  to  steal  the  cattle,  an'  i 
ain't  a  goin'  to  let  'em  have  my  pretty  little  cow.  Pappy 
give  her  to  me  when  she  were  a  calf,  an'  they  sha'n't 
have  her." 

"  Indeed  they  sha'n't,  Patsy,  not  if  we  can  get  her  to 
the  village,"  said  Margaret.  "  I  know  how  I  should 
feel  if  Snowball  were  in  danger."  She  turned  to  ask 
Ben  how  they  could  manage  it,  but  that  impatient  youth 
had  galloped  on. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  to  do,  Patsy.  Just  jog  along 
slowly ;  and  when  we  come  back,  if  we  overtake  you, 
we'll  give  you  a  lift." 


148  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"Thank  y',  ma'am,"  said  Patsy,  courtesying  as  she 
wiped  her  eyes.  "  Posy  won't  let  me  git  on  wery  fas', 
kuz  she  wants  to  stop  to  nibble  every  patch  o'  grass  we 
come  to." 

"  Oh  !  let  her  nibble  as  much  as  she  likes.  She  is  all 
right  now."  And  then  she  chirruped  to  Lion,  and  was 
off  again. 

It  was  a  gallant  show  they  made  on  the  windy  sum 
mit  of  Montauk,  the  little  company  so  hastily  mustered 
that  seventh  day  of  April,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1776  ; 
and  a  brave  front  they  presented  to  the  blatant  enemy 
below.  Ben,  to  his  joy,  found  himself  in  time  to  join 
the  cavalcade,  and  he  made  the  most  of  his  opportunity ; 
but  Margaret,  mindful  of  her  promise  to  her  grandfather, 
held  aloof,  screening  herself  and  Lord  Lion  behind  a 
clump  of  scrub  oaks.  Here,  secure  from  observation, 
she  could  command  a  view  of  nearly  all  that  was  going 
on.  Some  of  the  men  were  so  disguised  that  it  was  not 
easy  to  recognize  them  ;  but  yonder  was  her  father,  rid 
ing  abreast  with  her  Uncle  John,  and  behind  them  came 
Priest  Buell,  armed  with  sword  and  gun.  A  little  in 
advance  of  the  others  rode  Captain  Dayton  ;  and  with 
a  quickened  pulse  she  discovered  that  the  tall  figure 
beside  him,  on  the  black-maned  horse,  was  Lodowick 
Brewster. 

Then,  for  a  few  moments,  they  were  hidden  from  her, 
having  passed  behind  a  hill ;  and  she  shuddered  to  think 
that  perhaps  the  enemy's  guns  were  being  turned  upon 
them.  But  shortly  the  whole  company  reappeared. 
And  now  something  occurred  that  she  could  not  at  first 


A   BRAVE  DEFENCE.  149 

comprehend,  for,  with  the  hill  between  themselves  and 
the  foe,  they  came  suddenly  to  a  halt,  and  began  pulling 
off  their  coats  and  turning  them  inside  out ;  and  lo,  in  an 
instant,  they  were  so  completely  metamorphosed  that  no 
one  would  have  taken  them  for  the  same  men.  By  one 
or  two  repetitions  of  this  simple  stratagem,  together  with 
a  series  of  marches  and  countermarches,  they  gave  the 
enemy  so  exaggerated  an  idea  of  their  numbers  that, 
after  one  or  two  futile  attempts  to  land,  they  abandoned 
the  undertaking,  and  hastened  to  weigh  anchor.1 

"Thank  God  for  another  bloodless  victory,"  said 
Priest  Buell,  pressing  down  his  hat;  for  the  irreverent 
wind  was  making  a  sorry  tangle  of  his  flowing  wig. 
"It  was  a  timeous  scare  we  gave  them.  Truly,  'the 
wicked  flee  when  no  man  pursueth.' ' 

"Ay,"  said  Captain  Dayton;  "  we  may  consider  our 
selves  fortunate  that  they  were  so  easily  frightened  off. 
What  Fin  most  in  fear  of  now  is,  that,  failing  of  their 
object  here,  they  may  seek  to  land  at  some  unprotected 
point  on  Shelter  Island." 

"Not  this  time,"  said  Brewster.  "Look,  they  are 
putting  to  sea." 

"That's  a  fact,"  said  John  Thurston,  as  the  vessels 
bore  away.  "  Still,  it  will  be  \vell  to  keep  an  eye  on 
them,  lest  they  come  sailing  back,  and  take  us  un 
awares." 

And  it  was  not  till  the  last  sail  vanished  in  the  distance 
that  the  brave  band  set  their  faces  homeward. 

Margaret  meanwhile  had  managed  to  lead  Lord  Lion 

1  This  account  is  true  in  every  particular.     See  "  Chronicles  of  Easthampton." 


150  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

down  the  hill  without  attracting  attention,  and  by  the 
time  the  others  started  she  was  well  on  the  road. 

In  the  soft,  moist  air,  with  the  salt  fragrance  of  the 
sea,  the  scent  of  springing  grass  and  budding  thickets, 
was  mingled  the  milky  breath  of  cows ;  for  the  herders, 
at  the  first  gleam  of  hostile  sails,  had  driven  the  cattle 
and  sheep  westward,  and  the  uneasy  tinkling  of  the  bells 
told  that  the  wearers  were  not  yet  wonted  to  their  ' '  pas 
tures  new." 

"  O  Lion,  they  are  safe,  thank  God  !  "  said  Margaret, 
fervently,  as  she  passed  the  "  lowing  herds."  And  then 
she  laughed  to  think  how  easily  the  enemy  had  been 
overawed. 

She  had  covered  but  a  mile  or  two  more  when  she 
came  upon  Patsy,  huddled  in  a  forlorn  little  heap  by 
the  roadside,  with  her  knuckles  in  her  eyes. 

"  Posy's  gone  an'  got  lost,  ma'am,"  sobbed  the  child, 
in  answer  to  Margaret's  questions.  "  She  was  that  con 
trary,  that  she  wouldn't  stir  a  step  the  way  I  wanted  her 
to  go,  after  she  heerd  them  bells  ;  an'  now  she's  gone 
an'  got  so  mixed  up  with  the  rest  of  'em  that  I  can't  find 
her  nowheres." 

"  Oh,  it's  all  right,  Patsy  !  The  redcoats  have  sailed 
away  without  daring  to  come  ashore  ;  so  run  home  and 
go  to  bed,  and  in  the  morning  you'll  find  your  little  red 
heifer  mooing  for  you  at  the  bars." 

"O  Miss  Marg'et!"  cried  Patsy.  "Eh,  but  that's 
good  news  !  "  and  springing  to  her  feet,  she  sped  away 
like  a  little  sand-piper. 

The  grayness  of  night  was  beginning  to  gather,  but 


A  BRAVE  DEFENCE.  151 

happily  there  was  a  moon ;  and  Margaret  rode  on  fear 
lessly  until,  behind  her,  she  heard,  coming  rapidly  nearer, 
the  sound  of  hoofs.  Old  Vic  was  not  equal  to  any  such 
breakneck  rate,  even  with  Ben  in  the  saddle  ;  and  her 
first  thought  was  to  put  Lion  to  his  speed.  But  hark  ! 
Some  one  was  calling  her  name.  And  before  she  could 
turn,  Rex  was  cheek  by  jowl  with  Lion. 

"  When  Ben  told  me  that  you  came  with  him  to  the 
Point,"  said  Brewster,  bending  from  the  saddle  to  touch 
hfs  lips  to  her  hand,  "  I  spurred  on  without  waiting 
for  the  rest.  But  why  did  you  come,  sweetheart?  I 
shudder  to  think  of  your  danger  had  there  been  any 
fighting." 

"  It  ill  behooves  a  soldier's  daughter  to  be  afraid," 
answered  the  girl.  "  Besides,  Lodowick,  there  was  a 
possibility  that  I  might  be  needed." 

Lodowick  bridged  the  space  between  them  with  his 
arm. 

"Brave  little  sweetheart!"  he  said,  clasping  her 
hand  again.  "Thank  God,  there  were  no  wounds  to 
be  dressed  to-day.  But  my  heart  misgives  me  for  the 
future.  The  battle  is  yet  to  be  fought  that  shall  bring 
us  peace." 

"  And,  alas  !  who  knows  how  many  lives  that  battle 
may  cost?  O  Lodowick,  Lodowick  !  " 

"  But  in  what  better  cause  could  a  man  lay  down  his 
life?  Happy  are  they  who  fall  in  such  a  battle.  But 
in  God's  good  providence  I  may  be  among  those  who 
are  spared  to  come  forth  alive.  You  are  not  to  be  anx 
ious  about  me,  sweetheart.  Remember  the  words  of 


152  AN  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

George  Whitefield,  '  We  are  immortal  till  our  work  is 
done.'  " 

Margaret  caught  her  breath  without  answering  ;  but 
she  lifted  the  hand  that  held  hers,  and  laid  her  cheek 
against  it. 

The  night  grew  stiller.  Except  the  fall  of  the  horses' 
feet  on  the  sandy  soil,  the  only  noticeable  sounds  were 
the  soft  pipings  of  birds  from  tree  and  bush,  and  the 
pleading  cry  that  the  sea  sent  up  to  the  unresponsive 
moon.  It  seemed  a  night  made  purposely  for  lovers, 
and  these  two  were  young,  with  all  their  life  before 
them  ;  and  though  even  over  their  new-found  joy  the 
war-cloud  cast  its  shadow,  they  dreamed  dreams  and 
builded  castles,  the  same  as  other  lovers,  and  took  no 
note  of  time. 

Past  the  windy  desert  of  Napeague  and  the  stretch 
of  sand-hills  that  intervened,  they  caught  the  flicker  of 
lights  in  the  little  hamlet  of  Amagansett ;  and  now  they 
no  longer  had  the  night  to  themselves,  for,  though  it  was 
after  nine,  every  one  was  "waiting  up,"  on  the  watch 
for  any  passer-by,  and  more  than  once  they  were  obliged 
to  halt,  to  tell  some  anxious  questioner  how  the  enemy 
had  been  routed.  Then  for  three  miles  more  Rex  and 
Lord  Lion  paced  soberly  side  by  side,  being  by  this  time 
somewhat  fagged,  while  their  riders  held  that  sweet 

O  O  7 

commerce  of  thought  in  which  speech  and  silence  are 
alike  current  gold.  But  when  the  windmill  at  the  en 
trance  of  the  village  was  seen  lifting  its  giant  arms 
against  the  sky,  the  spell  was  broken  ;  for,  at  the  sound 
of  hoofs,  windows  and  doors  in  every  house  along  the 


A   BRAVE  DEFENCE.  153 

road  suddenly  opened ;   and  from  one   and  another  the 
riders  were   hailed  with  the  cry,  "What  news?" 

"  Nothing  but  good  news,  friends,"  called  Brewster. 
"  The  enemy  was  put  to  flight  with  no  blood  spilled  on 
either  side." 

And  again  and  again,  the  length  of  the  street,  the 
cheering  word  was  repeated,  until  every  woman  and 
child  knew  that  the  Meadows  were  safe,  for  the  night 
at  least. 

."  I  hope  no  harm  has  befallen  grandpa,"  said  Mar 
garet,  troubled  at  not  having  overtaken  the  old  man ; 
but  they  found  him  waiting  at  the  gate. 

"  Poor  gran'dad  !  how  tired  you  must  be  ;  "  and  Meg 
put  both  arms  around  his  neck  as  he  lifted  her  down. 

"  Nay,  I  have  not  walked  all  the  way.  Thy  cousins, 
Betty  and  her  brother,  drove  out  as  far  as  Napeague,  to 
see  if  anything  could  be  learned  as  to  the  cause  of  the 
firing,  and  they  kindly  took  me  in.  And  how  has  the 
day  passed  with  thee,  little  one?  I  am  afraid  thou  art 
well-nigh  starved.  And  thou,  too,  Lodowick.  Prudence 
has  her  table  spread  for  friend  or  foe  ;  why  not  come  in 
and  sup  with  us?  " 

"Not  to-night,  thank  you,  friend  Thurston,"  said 
Lodowick,  reluctantly,  "  not  to-night.  I  must  make 
haste  to  report  to  Frances  and  Deborah.  They  will  be 
anxious  about  me.  Ah,  here  come  the  others!"  And, 
as  he  galloped  away,  Ben  rode  up,  followed  by  John 
Thurston  and  Aaron  Neale. 


154  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE    DECLARATION. 

AlpHOUGH  their  victory  at  Montauk  had  inspired  the 
JL  people  with  fresh  confidence,  they  were  not  sorry 
to  know  that  Congress  still  wished  the  Suffolk  County 
companies  to  hold  themselves  subject  to  General  Wood- 
hull's  orders  for  the  protection  of  the  stock. 

"  Some  of  'em  won't  relish  it  very  well,"  said  Silas 
Post,  "  they're  in  such  a  fever  to  git  into  camp." 

"Yes,  I  heard  them  expressing  their  minds  about  it 
last  night,"  answered  Brewster,  who  had  found  it  no 
easy  matter  to  curb  his  own  impatience.  "They  seem 
to  think  that  keeping  guard  over  the  cattle  on  the  Mead 
ows  is  not  what  they  enlisted  for ;  but  a  soldier  must  not 
do  his  own  choosing.  It  is  irksome,  I  admit;  but,  until 
the  safety  of  the  stock  is  assured,  there  is  nothing  for  us 
but  to  make  the  best  of  it,  and,  as  Congress  promises  to 
supply  us  with  ammunition,  I  think  we  shall  be  able 
to  hold  our  own,  at  least." 

"To  hold  our  own,  man  ! "  cried  John  Thurston,  join 
ing  them  with  a  dismayed  face.  "Ah,  you  have  not 
heard  the  latest  rumor.  Major  TIerrick  and  Ensign 
Hildreth  have  just  come  riding  with  all  speed  from 
Southampton  to  let  the  people  know.  The  British  have 


THE  DECLARATION.  155 

over  a  hundred  men-of-war  and  transports  anchored  off 
Staten  Island." 

His  listeners  started  up  appalled. 

"Already?"  cried  Aaron  Neale. 

"Ay,  and  God  knows  how  soon  they  will  be  land 
ing,"  answered  Thurston ;  "for,  if  the  report  has  any 
foundation,  it  is  evident  that  they  are  planning  to  get 
possession  of  New  York,  and  if  they  succeed  "  —  He 
broke  off'  abruptly,  and  began  pacing  the  floor. 

*  "If   they   succeed,"   Aaron   Neale   repeated    slowly, 
"Long  Island  is — doomed." 

His  brother-in-law  made  no  reply;  but  till  late  in  the 
night  he  paced  the  floor  with  that  last  word  throbbing  in 
his  brain  :  "  Doomed  !  doomed  !  doomed." 

But  in  the  thickest  of  these  forebodings,  like  the  burst 
ing  of  the  sun  through  the  black  folds  that  threaten  a 
tornado,  came  the  inspiring  news  that  Congress  had 
passed  a  resolution  declaring  the  United  Colonies  "free 
and  independent  States." 

Nowhere  throughout  the  country  was  the  "  Declara 
tion  "  received  with  more  enthusiasm  than  at  the  East 
End,  and  nowhere  did  this  enthusiasm  more  readily  find 
expression  in  patriotic  demonstrations.  Every  church- 
bell  in  the  Hamptons  sounded  a  response  to  the  victori 
ous  peal  that  had  echoed  over  land  and  sea  from  the 
great  bell  in  the  old  State  House  in  Philadelphia ;  and 
to  the  ringing  of  the  bells  were  added  the  beat  of  drums 
and  the  shouts  of  lusty  voices.  The  people  went  wild 
in  their  joy ;  and  the  manifestations  of  patriotism  were 
not  confined  to  those  in  the  heyday  of  life.  Men  who 


156  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

had  served  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  and  whose 
record  of  years  had  reached  three  score  and  ten,  not 
only  took  part  in  the  parade,  but  agreed  to  hold  them 
selves  in  readiness  to  go  into  the  field  whenever  needed. 
Speeches,  together  with  the  reading  of  the  Declaration, 
were  the  order  of  the  hour ;  and  even  the  woodpile 
became  for  the  time  a  rostrum. 

"They  say  that  all  the  colonies  are  eager  to  adopt  it, 
but  none  of  them  got  ahead  of  New  York,"  said  Burnct 
Miller,  exultantly.  "The  Dutch  blood  is  up,  and  the 
people  are  proving  themselves  true  descendants  of  the 
brave  old  Hollanders  and  Huguenots.  Squire  Wick- 
ham  reports  that  our  Congress  had  a  rousing  time  in  the 
old  court  house  at  White  Plains.  A  mounted  messenger 
brought  the  news  of  the  Declaration  from  Philadelphia, 
and  they  had  it  proclaimed  at  once  with  flying  colors ; 
and  after  pledging  themselves  to  sustain  it  with  their 
lives  and  fortunes,  if  need  be,  they  sent  the  horseman 
back  to  Philadelphia  with  a  message  empowering  the 
Continental  Congress  to  vote  for  the  people  of  New 
York." 

"  Oh  !  New  York  is  buckling  on  her  armor  in  earnest," 
said  Aaron  Neale ;  "  and  a  happy  thing  it  is  for  the  rest 
of  the  country,  for  without  her  co-operation  there  would 
be  scant  hope  of  success.'' 

Among  the  boys  there  \vas  no  one  that  showed  more 
zeal  than  Ben  Thurston  ;  and,  on  hearing  that  the  Hunt- 
ington  people  had  burned  His  Majesty  King  George  in 
effigy,  he  at  once  proposed  to  his  familiars,  Burt  Os- 
good  and  Vet  Dimon,  that  they  should  have  a  similar 


THE  DECLARATION.  157 

demonstration ;  but  Mistress  Prudence,  getting  a  hint  of 
it,  nipped  the  disloyal  project  in  the  bud. 

"Won't  let  a  fellow  so  much  as  fire  a  popgun  to 
show  his  patriotism,"  growled  the  young  fellow,  confi 
dentially,  to  Margaret.  "And  there's  Phil  Halsey,  over 
at  Southampton,  only  a  year  or  so  older  than  I  am,  he 
enlisted  months  ago ;  and  they  say  that  he  heard  the 
Declaration  read  to  the  army.  Wish  I'd  been  along 
with  him." 

*"  Where,  oh,  where  is  the  young  man  that  didn't  ap 
prove  of  throwing  the  tea  overboard?"  mocked  Meg. 

"  Pshaw  !  I  was  nothing  but  a  boy  then."  And  Ben 
rubbed  his  hand  caressingly  over  the  silky  down  that 
was  beginning  to  clothe  his  chin.  "  Besides,  Meg, 
when  I  heard  about  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  I  found 
out  that  I  was  an  American." 

But  when  the  first  heat  of  exultation  had  spent  itself, 
and  the  people  took  time  to  consider  the  full  import  of 
the  "  Declaration,"  some  of  the  more  timid  ones  began 
to  quake. 

"It's  all  very  fine,"  said  Olin  Dole,  who,  with  Silas 
Post,  and  two  or  three  others,  was  standing  in  front  of 
Dan  Conklin's  store;  "but  Congress  might  better  'a' 
waited  till  we'd  got  a  little  nigher  the  fence  'fore  shakin' 
such  a  red  rag  in  the  bull's  face." 

" 'Twas  the  colonies  shook  the  red  rag  in  the  bull's 
face,  Olin,  when  they  perlitely  said,  '  No  tea,  if  you 
please,'"  retorted  Silas;  "but  Congress  has  seized  the 
bull  by  the  horns,  and  we'd  ought  to  be  mighty  proud 
that  they  had  the  pluck  to  do  it." 


158  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"That's  very  true,  Silas,"  said  Colonel  Gardiner, 
pulling  down  his  buff  vest.  "Still,  it  was  a  little  pre 
mature,  and  I'm  afraid  that  there's  going  to  be  a  pretty 
tough  tussle  before  it's  over  with." 

"Yes,  it  was  a  courageous  step  to  take,"  said  old 
"Assemblyman"  Miller,  "and  we  may  well  be  proud 
of  it;  but,  having  asserted  our  independence,  it  remains 
for  us  to  establish  it,  and  it  looks  now  as  if  it  might  in 
volve  our  having  to  wade  through  blood." 

"That  wouldn't  be  nuthin'  strange,"  Silas  answered 
stoutly.  "We're  a  good  'eal  in  the  same  fix  the  Is'al- 
ites  was  when  they's  tryin'  to  git  out  o'  Egyp'  ;  we've 
come  to  our  Red  Sea,  an'  if  we  ain't  got  the  courage  to 
venture  in,  there's  nuthin'  for  us  to  do  but  to  go  back 
into  slavery." 

"Ay,  ay,  Silas,"  responded  Priest  Buell,  who  had 
joined  the  group  a  moment  before;  "  and,  with  George 
Washington  for  our  Moses,  we  can  go  forward  with 
confidence,  feeling  that  he  is  appointed  of  God  to  lead 
us  into  the  promised  land." 

"  But  the  promised  land  is  not  going  to  be  reached  in 
a  day,"  said  Miller  ;  "  and,  meanwhile,  the  fleet  in  New 
York  Bay  may  at  any  moment  swoop  down  on  the  East 
End  without  let  or  hindrance." 

"Yes,  there's  no  use  shutting  our  eyes  to  that  fact," 
said  Dan  Conklin.  "  The  Jerseys  may  divert  'em  for  a 
little ;  but  as  soon  as  the  supplies  begin  to  get  low  there 
they'll  turn  their  attention  to  Long  Island,  there's  no 
question  about  that." 

"I  guess  Woodhull  '11  look  out  for  us,"  said  Silas. 


THE  DECLARATION.  I  $9 

"  Besides,  now  that  Gen'al  Washin'ton's  in  New  York, 
he'll  have  an  eye  to  our  safety." 

"Gen'al  Washin'ton's  goin'  to  have  all  he  can  do  to 
keep  New  York  out  o'  their  clutches,"  insisted  Olin. 
"  They  say  he  can't  muster  mor'n  ten  thousan'  men  all 
told,  an'  a  thousan'  or  so  o'  thcnis  either  sick  or  off  on 
furlongs.  He's  got  all  he  kin  tend  to  'thout  botherin' 
'bout  the  East  En'." 

"  Oh  !  the  East  En'  's  goin'  to  git  along  all  right,  pro- 
vtdin'  no  more  of  our  men  are  ordered  off  somewhere 
else,"  said  Silas  confidently. 

But  that  very  day  word  was  received  that  Colonel 
Josiah  Smith  and  Colonel  Henry  Livingston,  lodging 
the  previous  night  with  Captain  Foster  at  the  Harbor, 
had  met  an  express  from  the  Convention,  directing  them 
to  send  all  the  new  levies  to  the  West  End.  Ezekiel 
Mulford's  company  was  included  in  this  order,  being 
part  of  Colonel  Smith's  regiment ;  and  when  the  day 
came  for  them  to  march,  Priest  Buell,  in  the  presence  of 
friends  and  neighbors,  entreated  a  blessing  for  them, 
and  with  the  affectionate  earnestness  of  a  father  exhorted 
them  to  be  faithful  to  the  cause.  They  made  a  goodly 
show  as  they  trooped  away  to  the  sound  of  life  and 
drum,  but  the  whole  country-side  was  saddened  by  their 
going  ;  for,  of  all  the  companies  that  had  been  raised 
in  the  immediate  vicinity,  none  but  Captain  Hurlburt's 
was  left  to  guard  the  Meadows,  and  it  was  only  at  the 
urgent  petition  of  the  people  that  Congress  had  granted 
permission  for  this  handful  to  remain. 

"It  would  be  a  meagre  defence  in  case  of  a  sudden 


l6o  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

invasion,"  said  Aaron  Neale.  "  I  hear  that  Zephaniah 
Rogers  and  Ed  Topping,  at  Southampton,  are  trying  to 
raise  a  force  for  the  protection  of  the  stock;  but  it  will 
have  to  be  made  up  of  old  men  chiefly,  there  are  so  few 
of  the  younger  ones  left." 

He  was  talking  with  two  or  three  of  the  neighbors 
who  had  gathered  at  the  woodpile,  and  presently  they 
were  joined  by  Squire  Wickham.  The  Squire,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Congress,  had  just  re 
turned  from  the  city ;  and  they  saw  at  a  glance  that  he 
had  something  of  importance  to  communicate. 

"  Congress,"  he  said  deprecatingly,  fully  aware  of  the 
blow  he  was  about  to  deal,  "  has  determined  to  put  it 
out  of  the  enemy's  power  to  obtain  supplies  from  Long 
Island,  and  to  accomplish  this  only  one  course  seems 
feasible.  Several  plans  were  proposed.  One  was  for 
the  armed  occupation  of  the  Island,  but  the  lack  of 
troops  and  ammunition  makes  that  impossible  ;  and  it 
has  finally  been  decided  that,  while  each  family  is  to  be 
allowed  to  retain  a  specified  number  of  co\vs,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  family,  the  common  stock  shall  be 
gathered  in  safe  places,  from  whence  it  can  be  driven  at 
a  moment's  notice,  in  case  of  an  alarm.  It  is  also  de 
cided  that  one-fourth  of  the  minute  men  and  militia  shall 
be  drafted  to  guard  it,  and  that  the  officer  in  command 
be  empowered  to  have  it  destroyed,  if  necessary,  to  pre 
vent  its  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  British.  It  is  a 
hard  alternative,  but  necessity  knows  no  law." 

And  scarcely  had  this  decision  of  Congress  become 
generally  known,  when  a  messenger  came  riding  post- 


THE  DECLARATION.  l6l 

haste  down  the  Island,  with  the  appalling  tidings  that 
twenty  thousand  of  the  British  troops  had  embarked 
from  Staten  Island,  and  were  landing  at  New  Utrecht, 
with  the  intention,  evidently,  of  getting  possession  of 
Brooklyn,  —  and  the  possession  of  Brooklyn  meant  pos 
session  of  the  entire  Island. 


1 62  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

WHAT    NEWS? 

IN  the  hope  of  obtaining  more  definite  information 
concerning  the  landing  of  the  enemy,  messengers 
were  despatched  at  once  to  Jamaica,  and  Lodowick 
Brewster  was  of  the  number. 

It  was  on  Thursday  evening  that  they  started,  and  the 
dense  fog  that  since  early  morning  had  enveloped  sea 
and  land  did  not  tend  to  lessen  the  gloom  that  was 
enshrouding  all  hearts. 

"  Oh,  this  waiting  in  the  dark  !  "  cried  John  Thurston. 
"  It  would  be  easier  to  face  the  enemy's  guns  ;  and  it  will 
be  four  days  at  least  before  wre  can  look  for  them  back." 

But  Lodowick  had  said  to  Margaret  that  he  meant  to 
be  home  on  Saturday  night  if  he  had  to  change  horses 
at  every  inn  on  the  road ;  and  though  she  half  doubted 
his  being  able  to  accomplish  it,  when  Saturday  afternoon 
came  she  took  her  wheel  out  under  the  shade  of  the 
buttonball  on  the  west  side  of  the  house,  where,  through 
an  opening  in  the  paling,  she  could  command  a  view  of 
the  highway.  The  paling,  which  was  made  of  rifted 
timber,  was  a  relic  of  the  days  when  fences  needed  to 
be  high  and  strong,  as  a  protection  from  wolves  and 
Indians ;  and  she  found  it  an  excellent  screen. 


WHAT  NEU/S?  163 

"As  if  there  were  no  place  indoors  where  you  could 
spin !  "  called  her  Aunt  Prudence  from  an  upper  win 
dow. 

"  Oh  !  but  I  like  it  out  here,"  said  Margaret,  as  she 
fastened  a  roll  of  wool  to  the  spindle. 

' '  It  would  be  well  always  to  spin  out-of-doors  on  a 
day  like  this,"  said  her  grandfather,  who  had  followed 
her  with  his  book  and  chair.  "We  let  too  much  of 
God's  sunshine  go  to  waste,  housing  ourselves  so  closely." 
*And  Prudence,  finding  that  the  girl  had  her  grand 
father  for  an  ally,  drew  in  her  head,  and  shut  the  window 
with  an  emphatic  bang. 

The  old  man,  with  his  chair  tilted  against  a  tree, 
opened  his  book  and  began  to  read ;  while  Margaret, 
moving  noiselessly  back  and  forth  across  the  flickering 
shadows  on  the  grass,  as  she  drew  out  the  long  gray 
strands,  kept  a  watchful  eye  on  the  street.  It  was  a 
pleasant  picture  she  made,  and  her  grandfather's  glance 
strayed  often  from  his  book  to  the  spinner.  An  old  straw 
hat  of  Ben's  that  she  had  picked  up  on  the  porch  was 
crowded  over  her  curls,  and  a  short-waisted  gown  of 
homespun  linen  fell  in  long  straight  lines  around  the 
slim  young  figure.  The  sunlight  glinted  in  broken 
shafts  between  the  shifting  leaves,  and  now  and  then  a 
bird  sent  down  a  snatch  of  song ;  in  the  cornfield  back 
of  the  "pasture-lot"  the  crows  were  cawing,  and  from 
behind  the  sand-dunes  came  a  cool  salt  wind.  It  was 
indeed  a  good  day  to  be  out-of-doors. 

By  and  by  in  the  distance  rose  a  little  cloud  of  dust ; 
and  the  old  man,  who,  lulled  by  the  monotonous  burr  of 


164  AH  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

the  wheel,  had  begun  to  drowse,  was  roused  by  the 
sudden  stopping  of  the  lullaby. 

"What  dost  thou  see?"  he  asked;  for  Madge  was 
standing  motionless,  one  hand  holding  loosely  a  skein 
of  yarn,  while  with  the  other  she  shaded  her  eyes  from 
the  level  rays  of  the  sun.  And,  before  she  could  answer 
him,  out  of  the  whirl  of  dust  came  a  horseman,  riding  in 
furious  haste.  The  girl  started  forward  with  an  eager 
cry,  letting  the  yarn  slip  to  the  ground  ;  and  the  old  man 
dropped  his  book,  and  stood  up. 

"It  is  some  one  with  tidings,"  he  said.  But  the  girl 
drew  back  disappointed. 

"  It  is  only  Ike  Bennet !  he  always  rides  as  if  he  had 
news  to  tell."  And,  with  the  feeling  that  Ike  ought  to 
know  better  than  to  come  dashing  through  the  streets  like 
that,  unless  he  had  some  special  message  to  deliver,  she 
turned  to  set  her  wheel  in  motion  again.  But  when,  in 
answer  to  her  grandfather's  salute,  the  horseman  shouted 
that  the  British  were  surrounding  Brooklyn,  she  stopped, 
and,  with  her  hand  on  the  spindle,  asked, 

"If  Brooklyn  should  be  taken,  what  then,  grandpa?" 

"Even  if  Brooklyn  should  be  taken,  child,  the  Lord 
still  reigns." 

"Yes,  the  Lord  still  reigns,  but  —  so  does  King 
George,"  said  the  girl  rebelliously ;  "and  it  begins  to 
look  now  as  if  the  Lord  were  altogether  on  his  side." 

"Thou  art  judging  hastily,  little  one.  Was  He  on 
King  George's  side  when  He  delivered  Boston  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  enemy?  And  is  His  arm  shortened  that  it 
cannot  save?  " 


"  IT  WAS  A  PI.EASAXT  PICTURE  THAT  MARGARET  MADE.  AND  HER 
GRANDFATHER'S  GLANCE  STRAYED  FROM  HIS  BOOK  TO  THE 
SPINNER." 


WHAT  NEWS?  165 

Margaret  took  the  reproof  meekly,  and  went  back  to 
her  wheel  with  a  quieter  heart.  But  the  old  man  pointed 
to  the  west. 

"The  Lord's  Day  has  begun,"  he  said,  as  the  sun's 
red  rim  slipped  out  of  sight.  And  then  Hagar  came  to 
the  door  to  call  them  to  supper. 

"  Coming,  Hagar,"  answered  Margaret,  scanning  the 
road  in  vain  for  another  whirl  of  dust. 

"  Fo'  massy  sake,  chile,  wat  fo'  yo'  scandenizin'  de 
neighborhood,  doin'  yo'  spinnin'  out  dar  arter  sunset 
Satydy  ebenin'?"  And,  with  a  fine  semblance  of  right 
eous  wrath,  Ilagar,  darting  out,  caught  up  the  wheel, 
intent  on  getting  it  into  the  house  before  Mistress  Pru 
dence  came  down. 

"  Yo'  aunt,  she  ben  up  in  dat  loom-room  de  hul  bles- 
som  arternoon,  'tendin'  to  dem  yarbs,  an'  she'll  keep  at 
'em  long's  dere's  a  bref  o'  daylight  lef,  fo'  der  ain't 
nuffin  lazy  'bout  Mis'  Prudens,  an'  dat's  good,  pious 
sort  o'  work,  kase  dem's  fo'  de  healin'  o'  de  sick  ;  but 
w'en  folks  goes  to  nickin'  de  aidge  o'  de  Lawd's  Day 
wid  de  spinnin'-w'eel  —  La  !  dat  chile  ain't  hearin'  a 
word  Fs  sayin' !  "  For  Margaret,  who  had  run  back  to 
bring  in  her  grandfather's  chair,  was  again  absorbed  in 
watching  for  one  to  "  come  out  of  the  west ;  "  and  every 
thing  else  was  forgotten  until  her  aunt's  shrill  voice 
reminded  her  that  supper  was  waiting. 

Prudence  stood  in  the  doorway,  brushing  from  her 
apron  the  bits  of  mint  and  dill  and  saffron  that  had  clung 
to  it. 

"Oh,  how  good!"  cried  Margaret,  sniffing  the  fra- 


1 66  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

grance.  "  It  makes  me  think  of  that  verse  in  the  Bible, 
Aunt  Prudence :  '  All  thy  garments  smell  of  myrrh, 
and  aloes,  and  cassia.'  ' 

To  this  Scriptural  reference  her  aunt  deigned  no 
response. 

"John  Thurston  and  your  father  have  gone  down  to 
the  Meadows,"  she  said,  giving  her  apron  a  vigorous 
shake;  "and  there's  no  telling  when  they'll  be  back,  if 
it  is  Saturday  night.  Like  as  not  they'll  think  they  must 
stay  on  guard,  the  men  are  in  such  a  scare  ;  and  they've 
taken  Benjamin  with  them.  They'll  make  a  rank  rebel 
of  him  if  they  keep  on.'' 

"  He  is  wild  to  be  in  the  ranks,"  said  Margaret, 
demurely. 

"He  will  never  be  there  with  my  consent,  at  least  not 
in  those  that  fight  against  King  George,''  Prudence  de 
clared,  with  heightened  color. 

"  Long  live  King  George  !"  screeched  the  parrot. 

"Yes,  Poll,  yes,  long  live  His  Gracious  Majesty!" 
crooned  Prudence,  nodding  to  her  pet. 

The  old  man  turned  to  Margaret.  "  Dost  thou  know 
on  what  text  Friend  Buell  means  to  discourse  on  the 
morrow?  Xay?  Then  we  will  walk  that  way  after 
supper,  and  inquire.  It  is  well  to  have  the  subject  in 
mind  beforehand." 

Meg's  face  grew  radiant.  It  was  her  habit  to  spend 
an  hour  or  two  on  Saturday  evening  in  reading  to  him, 
and,  as  a  rule,  she  enjoyed  doing  it :  but  to-night,  with 
every  nerve  at  its  utmost  tension,  the  prospect  of  being 
pent  indoors  had  seemed  scarcely  endurable.  Besides, 


WHAT  NEU/S?  167 

she  was  hungering  to  see  her  friend,  Mrs.  Gardiner.  She 
had  not  yet  mustered  courage  to  tell  any  one  of  her  be 
trothal,  but  to-night  the  longing  to  confide  it  to  some  one 
who  would  sympathize  with  her  was  too  strong  to  be 
resisted. 

Prudence  hinted  broadly  that  Saturday  night  was  an 
ill-chosen  time  for  calls,  and  might  better  be  spent  at 
home  ;  but  her  father-in-law  blandly  assured  her  that  they 
could  always  count  on  a  welcome  from  Priest  Buell,  no 
matter  when  they  called. 

But  when  they  came  out  into  the  cool,  still  starlight, 
Margaret  suddenly  remembered  that  every  step  taken  in 
the  direction  of  the  parsonage  was  lengthening 'the  dis 
tance  between  herself  and  Lodowick. 

"  Why  not  go  a  little  way  in  the  other  direction  first?  " 
she  asked.  "We  might,  perhaps,  meet  some  one  with 
tidings." 

"  Nay,"  he  said  ;  "  it  will  be  wiser  to  wait  till  we  have 
done  our  errand."  And  Margaret  reluctantly  faced  about. 

But  at  the  parsonage  they  found  every  one  so  full  of 
the  threatening  state  of  affairs  in  Brooklyn  that  the 
errand  slipped  into  the  background.  Even  little  John 
Lion,  and  his  small  uncle,  Sammy  Buell,  who,  at  Mrs. 
Buell's  knee,  had  been  laboriouslv  repeating  their  cate 
chism,  ran  to  tell  Margaret  that  the  "  Bwitishers  "  were 
coming. 

"And  they  are  bad  men,"  John  Lion  added,  with  a 
scowl  on  the  baby  forehead  ;  "  for  Jason  Skrill  says  they 
will  take  away  all  the  sheep  and  cows,  just  as  they  did 
from  my  mamma's  island." 


1 68  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Hush,  my  son,"  chided  his  mother.  "  Grandpa  is 
speaking." 

"Ah,  would  God  the  flocks  of  our  pasture  were  men  ! " 
Priest  Buell  was  saying.  "  Then,  perhaps,  the  East 
End  might  be  saved.  As  it  is  "  He  pressed  his  lips 
together,  and  shook  his  head.  "  Nay,  as  it  is,"  he  cried, 
his  face  growing  luminous,  "we  will  still  trust  in  the 
Lord.  He  has  never  yet  failed  us." 

"  Dear  old  daddy  !  "  whispered  Mrs.  Gardiner  to  Mar 
garet ;  "it  is  almost  more  than  he  can  bear,  the  thought 
of  having  his  people  at  the  mercy  of  the  enemy." 

"Ah,  if  England  had  listened  to  the  teachings  of 
George  "Fox,"  lamented  the  old  Quaker,  "  this  unnatural 
warfare  would  never  have  been  begun.  It  was  the  gospel 
of  peace  that  he  preached,  but  he  gave  his  message  to 
those  who  were  not  worthy  to  receive  it." 

"But  there  is  a  gospel  of  war  as  well  as  of  peace, 
Friend  Thurston,"  said  the  minister;  "  and  I  would  fain 
cry  out  to  the  men  of  our  land  everywhere  to  gird  on 
their  armor,  for,  since  the  battle  has  begun,  it  behooves 
us  to  fight  it  out  like  men. I' 

It  seemed  impossible  to  speak  on  any  other  subject, 
and  it  was  not  until  it  was  time  for  the  little  lads  to  be  put 
to  bed  that  Margaret  found  a  chance  to  tell  her  secret. 

"O  my  dear,  my  dear,  I  am  so  glad!"  cried  her 
friend,  putting  her  arms  about  the  girl;  "so  glad  for 
you  and  for  him.  You  could  not  have  chosen  more 
wisely.  One  does  not  need  to  be  a  seer  to  predict  that 
you  will  be  happy.  But  the  wedding,  dear, — that  will 
not  be  yet,  I  suppose." 


WHAT  NEWS?  169 

"No,"  said  the  girl,  nestling  closer  in  the  motherly 
embrace,  "  not  until  the  war  is  over;  and  that  will  be 
quite  time  enough,  for  I  am  too  young,  grandpa  says,  to 
marry  —  I  am  not  yet  eighteen,  you  know.  But  when 
I  think  of  the  war  my  heart  fails  me ;  for,  the  moment 
Lodowick  is  no  longer  needed  here,  he  expects  to  join 
the  army." 

"  Oh  !  but,  my  dear,  wherever  he  may  be,  he  will  be 
in  the  same  kind  keeping ;  and  when  you  consider  the 
chances  of  life  and  death,  you  will  see  that  being  a  sol 
dier  involves  but  little  more  risk  of  life  and  limb  than 
belonging  to  a  whaling  squadron." 

"Ah,  but  one  is  for  a  day,  and  the  other  goes  on  in 
definitely,"  sighed  the  girl ;  and  then  her  grandfather 
called  her. 

"But  love  is  for  all  eternity,"  said  Jerusha,  giving 
her  a  good-night  kiss.  And  with  a  comforted  heart  she 
went  down-stairs,  repeating  softly  to  herself,  "Love  is 
for  all  eternity." 

"  Let  us  hope  that  help  will  come  timeously,"  Priest 
Buell  was  remarking,  with  something  of  his  usual  cheer 
fulness.  "Ah,  here's  Margaret !  What  has  Jerusha  been 
saying  to  make  your  eyes  so  bright,  child?" 

"She  has  been  mothering  me,"  answered  the  girl, 
with  a  plaintive  little  smile. 

"Ah,  I  understand.  There  are  times  when  we  all 
want  mothering,  and  Jerusha  has  a  knack  that  way," 
said  the  minister,  patting  Margaret's  shoulder. 

The  sky  was  bright  with  stars  when  they  came  out 
again,  and  in  every  house  they  passed  the  "early  candle 


I/O  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

light"  was  making  a  cheerful  glow.  Saturday  evening 
was  religiously  observed  by  old  and  young ;  not  even  a 
child's  laugh  was  heard,  and  the  soft  chant  of  the  waves 
seemed  only  to  intensify  the  Sabbatic  hush.  But  in  the 
doorways  and  at  the  open  windows  men  and  women  sat 
silently  watching,  their  tense  figures  dimly  outlined 
against  the  flickering  light  within. 

"  They  are  waiting  for  the  verdict,"  said  the  old  man. 
"  God  grant  it  be  not  heavier  than  they  forebode  !  O 
England  !  England  !  " 

Margaret  made  no  answer ;  she  was  too  intent  on  lis 
tening.  But  there  came  no  sound  of  hoofs.  Presently, 
however,  there  was  a  patter  of  feet,  and  Neb,  the  Brews- 
ters'  great  black  Newfoundland,  bounded  past  them. 
Margaret  started  forward  with  a  little  cry,  and  called 
him  by  name,  but  the  dog  forged  ahead. 

And  now  they  were  at  the  gate. 

"  Why  not  go  a  little  farther?"  urged  the  girl,  "  at 
least  to  the  corner ;  the  night  is  so  pleasant,  and  it  is  so 
hard  to  wait  indoors." 

"It  is  not  wise  to  give  way  to  impatience,"  said  the 
old  man.  "Thou  shouldst  learn  to  hold  thyself  quiet 
till  events  shape  themselves  to  the  All-wise  Will."  But 
he  went  on. 

"It  is  good  to  walk  on  a  night  like  this,"  he  said, 
baring  his  head  ;  and  it  was  not  until  thev  found  them- 

&  */ 

selves  half-way  to  Bridgehampton  that  he  halted. 

"We  have  gone  far  enough,  little  one.  Prudence 
will  be  disturbed  about  us,  and  it  is  not  well  to  disturb 
any  one  needlessly." 


WHAT  NEWS?  I/I 

Margaret  turned  unwillingly.  But  suddenly  she  went 
down  on  her  knees,  and  laid  her  ear  to  the  earth. 

"Some  one  is  coming,"  she  cried.  "I  hear  hoofs. 
Listen,  grandpa  !  They  are  almost  here." 

Neb,  who  for  the  last  half-mile  had  been  jogging  be 
side  them,  seemed  to  comprehend  at  once  Margaret's 
movement ;  for  he  put  his  nose  to  the  ground,  and  then 
with  a  joyful  yelp  dashed  off  again. 

"Ah,  Neb  knows  who  it  is,"  cried  the  old  man,  with 
the  eagerness  of  a  boy.  And  impatient  now  as  Marga 
ret  herself,  he  caught  her  hand,  and  went  hurrying  with 
her  along  the  dusky  road.  Neb  was  far  in  advance  of 
them,  and  from  time  to  time  his  quick  bark  could  be 
heard.  Then,  abruptly,  a  man's  voice  shouted  the  dog's 
name ;  and,  before  Neb's  frenzy  of  delight  had  spent 
itself,  Brewster  came  galloping  toward  them.  But  he 
was  looking  to  neither  the  right  nor  the  left,  and  gave 
no  sign  of  halting  till  a  quick  whinny  made  him  aware 
that  Rex  had  recognized  some  one. 

"What,  you,  Friend  Thurston?  "  he  exclaimed,  as  the 
old  Quaker  stepped  from  the  shadowy  wayside.  "  And 
Marjorie?  Ah,  I  was  thinking  of  thee,  sweetheart,"  he 
whispered,  leaping  from  the  saddle,  and  taking  the  girl's 
outstretched  hands. 

"  What  news,  Lodowick?  what  news?  "  cried  the  old 
man. 

"What  news?"  repeated  the  young  man  slowly. 
"Alas,  Friend  Thurston,  I  have  nothing  good  to  report ! 
England  is  determined  to  put  us  to  the  sword.  Nine 
thousand  men  have  been  landed  on  the  Island,  with  forty 


1/2  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

pieces  of  cannon.  Washington  has  sent  six  battalions 
to  re-enforce  General  Greene,  who  is  stationed  at  Brook 
lyn  ;  but  six  times  that  number  are  likely  to  be  needed, 
for  it  is  feared  that  the  British,  with  the  remainder  of  the 
twenty  thousand  that  embarked  from  Staten  Island,  are 
preparing  to  attack  New  York.  They  are  already  in 
possession  of  Flatbush  and  Gravesend,  and  the  inhabi 
tants  of  Brooklyn  feel  that  the  village  is  doomed.  But 
there  is  no  thought  of  going  over  to  the  enemy.  Colonel 
Hand,  with  his  rifle  regiment,  is  stationed  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Flatbush  ;  and  our  friends  the  Remsens,  with 
whom  I  tarried  for  an  hour's  rest,  say  that  the  people  are 
doing  all  in  their  power  to  co-operate  with  the  soldiers." 

While  giving  these  particulars  he  had  dismounted. 

"It  seems  good  to  be  out  of  the  saddle,"  he  said, 
drawing  Margaret's  hand  to  his  arm. 

"  It  has  been  a  hard  journey  for  you,"  said  the  girl. 
"And  for  Rex,  too,  poor  fellow  !  He  will  be  glad  to 
get  to  his  stall." 

"Oh,  Rex  has  had  a  fine  rest!  I  left  him  at  St. 
George's  Manor.  It  was  only  by  making  frequent 
changes  that  I  succeeded  in  getting  back  to-night.  The 
whole  length  of  the  Island  the  utmost  anxiety  prevails. 
General  Woodhull  is  at  Jamaica  with  about  one  hundred 
men,  and  Colonel  Remsen  and  Colonel  Smith  are  ex 
pected  to  join  him  ;  but  it  is  little  they  will  be  able  to 
do  toward  checking  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  and 
many  are  already  removing  their  families  and  effects  to 
a  safer  distance.  It  is  a  disheartening  outlook.  It  would 
be  bad  enough  to  have  our  flocks  and  herds  at  their 


"  BREWSTER  CAME  GALLOPING  TOWARD  THEM.  LOOKING  NEITHER 
TO  THE  RIGHT  NOR  THE  LEFT." 


WHAT  NEWS?  173 

mercy ;    but  to   have  our  homes    endangered "  He 

left  the  sentence  unfinished,  and  folded  Margaret's  hand 
closer  in  his  own,  while  the  old  man  put  his  arm  about 
her;  and,  walking  between  them,  her  heart  warm  with 
a  sense  of  their  protecting  love,  the  girl  for  the  moment 
half  forgot  her  fears. 

When  they  first  entered  the  village  nothing  but  silence 
greeted  them.  Most  of  the  lights  were  out,  and  every 
body  was  apparently  asleep.  But  Rex,  in  his  haste  for 
his* supper,  presently  pulled  away  from  his  master,  and 
having  heralded  their  return  with  a  mighty  neigh,  went 
trotting  homeward.  And  nowr  from  every  doorstep 
human  beings  started  up  like  ghosts. 

"What  news?  what  news?"  was  the  cry  that  broke 
the  stillness  of  the  summer  night,  the  voices  that  asked 
the  question  sounding  strained  and  unfamiliar. 

And  over  and  over  the  tired  messenger  told  the  harsh 
tidings  —  over  and  over,  till  his  lips  grew  dry  and  his 
heart  failed  him,  so  bitter  was  it  to  know  that  with  every 
word  he  was  slaying  hope.  Even  in  the  dim  light  he 
could  see  the  clenched  hands  and  blanched  faces.  Men 
listened  as  if  dazed,  and  women  clung  to  each  other, 
shaken  with  tearless  sobs. 

In  the  neighboring  Hamptons  the  stars  looked  down 
on  similar,scenes  that  August  night.  And  the  East  End 
was  not  alone  in  its  anguish.  Through  all  the  country 
side,  and  into  every  village  and  hamlet  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  Island,  the  same  dread  tidings  were  carry 
ing  terror  and  despair ;  for  the  end  was  not  yet,  and 
none  knew  what  might  be  on  the  morrow. 


174  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

DOOMED. 

THEY  were  heavy-hearted  congregations  that  gath 
ered  in  the  quaint  old  meeting-houses  on  the  East 
End  that  Lord's  Day  morning,  Aug,  25,  1776;  and 
Priest  Buell  and  Priest  White  were  not  the  only  pastors 
who,  looking  down  into  the  troubled  faces  of  their  people, 
felt  themselves  speechless,  for  the  moment,  in  the  pres 
ence  of  this  brooding  woe. 

"  Merciful  Father,  be  merciful  unto  thy  stricken  chil 
dren,"  prayed  Priest  Buell,  with  a  sinking  heart.  But 
when  he  opened  the  Book  he  found  no  lack  of  comfort 
ing  and  strengthening  words,  words  so  apt  and  "  time- 
ous  "  that  they  seemed  to  those  that  listened  to  them  as 
if  they  had  been  written  purposely  for  this  day  of  their 
calamity.  And  no  one  took  note  that  morning  of  the 
turning  of  the  hour-glass. 

Outside  the  meeting-house  the  sun  shone,  and  the  birds 
sang,  and  the  soft  rhythm  of  the  surf  was  like  a  hymn 
of  peace.  But,  though  nature  gave  no  sign  of  the  com 
ing  conflict,  scarcely  a  hundred  miles  away  preparations 
were  being  pushed  forward  with  all  possible  despatch. 
Two  brigades  of  General  De  Heister's  Hessians  were 
that  day  landed  on  the  doomed  Island ;  and  ship  after 


DOOMED.  175 

ship  was  seen,  by  those  on  the  opposite  shore,  dropping 
silently  down  to  the  Narrows.  But  for  two  days  no 
definite  news  found  its  way  to  the  East  End,  and  the 
people  waited  with  despairing  hearts.  The  Committee 
of  Safety  had  again  received  warning  to  have  the  stock 
in  shape  to  be  removed  at  the  briefest  notice,  and  the 
minute-men  and  militia  were  holding  themselves  in  readi 
ness  to  march  at  any  moment  —  and  still  there  came 
nothing  but  vague  rumors. 

But  on  the  third  day,  at  nightfall,  a  huge  white  horse 
was  seen  plunging  through  the  village,  carrying  a  hag 
gard,  white-faced  rider. 

"  News  !  News  !  "  shouted  a  voice  on  the  street.  And 
before  the  herald  could  reach  the  inn,  a  crowd  had  gath 
ered  in  his  wake. 

The  story  has  been  many  a  time  rehearsed  since  then 
—  how  the  Americans,  hemmed  in  on  every  side  and 
overpowered  by  superior  numbers,  were  bayoneted  by 
the  brutal  Hessians,  and  trampled  to  death  by  the  cav 
alry  ;  how  all  that  summer  morning  the  unequal  fight 
went  on,  the  heroic  band  of  patriots  withstanding  the 
foreign  hordes  with  a  courage  that  was  none  the  less 
grand  because  of  its  utter  hopelessness  ;  how  the  enemy, 
though  outnumbering  them  six  to  one,  was  held  at  bay 
for  hours  by  the  brave  young  Delawares  and  Maryland- 
ers ;  how  England's  hired  allies  glutted  themselves  with 
blood  ;  and  how,  at  last,  when  the  carnage  ended,  nearly 
two  thousand  patriots  lay  dead  in  marsh  and  meadow, 
on  wooded  hillsides  and  in  the  fields  of  ripening  corn. 
But  they  who  heard  it  for  the  first  time  in  after  years 


1/6  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

could  little  realize  how  like  a  death-warrant  it  smote  the 
ears  of  those  who  listened  to  it  that  summer  night  so 
long  ago. 

Before  a  week  passed  Captain  Mulford  and  many  of 
his  men  came  hurrying  home.  They,  with  other  East 
End  troops,  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  engagement, 
and  their  bravery  had  been  warmly  commended  ;  but 
Colonel  Smith,  immediately  after  the  battle,  well  aware 
of  the  danger  that  threatened  the  East  End,  had  given 
every  man  leave  to  go  to  the  protection  of  his  family, 
and  their  reports  brought  new  dismay.  "The  sooner 
we  make  our  escape  the  better,"  said  John  Thurston  bit 
terly.  "  In  a  conquered  territory  there  is  no  safety  for 
patriots." 

But,  before  the  bewildered  people  could  determine 
what  course  was  best,  word  came  that  Congress  had  re 
quested  Connecticut  to  send  a  thousand  troops  to  their 
assistance,  all  the  towns  on  the  Connecticut  coast  being 
expected  to  lend  their  help.  It  was  much  too  good  to 
be  true,  the  promised  troops  had  so  long  proved  a  myth ; 
but  with  the  grim  courage  of  despair  they  caught  at  the 
forlorn  hope,  and  began  once  more  to  plan  for  the  pro 
visioning  of  the  expected  forces. 

But  close  on  the  heels  of  this  message  came  rumors  of 
the  retreat  of  the  American  army  from  Long  Island,  and 
of  the  probability  that  New  York  City  would  shortly  have 
to  be  given  over  to  the  enemy.  And  then,  from  the 
clouds  that  had  so  long  been  gathering  blackness,  fell 
the  final  thunderbolt :  owing  to  the  utter  impossibility  of 
raising  enough  troops  to  protect  such  a  stretch  of  open 


DOOMED.  1 77 

country,  Washington  had  at  last  been  compelled,  sor 
rowfully,  and  through  sheer  force  of  circumstances,  to 
abandon  the  Island. 

Accompanying  this  verdict  of  doom  was  a  message 
from  Congress  recommending  that  the  women  and  chil 
dren,  together  with  the  slaves  and  stock,  be  removed  at 
once  across  the  Sound,  under  the  protection  of  Colonel 
Livingston. 

Men  gazed  at  each  other  with  blanched  faces,  know 
ing  that  this  recommendation  of  Congress  was  practi 
cally  a  sentence  of  exile  ;  that  it  meant  the  leaving  of 
houses  and  lands  to  be  despoiled  by  the  enemy,  and  that 
for  many  of  the  families  it  involved  absolute  beggary. 

Only  one  other  course  was  open  to  them,  and  that  was 
the  taking  of  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  King  George,  the 
safety  of  person  and  propertv  having  been  promised  by 
proclamation  to  all  who  consented  to  accept  this  condi 
tion,  and  remain  quietly  at  their  homes.  The  oath  in 
cluded  a  pledge  to  refrain,  both  from  engaging  actively 
in  the  war,  and  from  harboring  or  assisting,  in  any  way 
whatever,  those  that  were  in  the  army.  But  even  those 
wrho  had  cherished  the  hope  of  a  reconciliation  between 
England  and  the  colonies  hotly  resented  the  suggestion 
of  this  alternative. 

"Are  we  not  pledged  never  to  allow  ourselves  to  be 
come  slaves?"  cried  Aaron  Neale,  in  a  towering  rage. 

"And  what  is  to  become  of  the  slaves  themselves, 
Aaron?"  asked  his  father-in-law  anxiously.  "It  is 
thought  by  some  that  they  will  go  over  to  the  enemy." 

"  Nay,  there  is  nothing  of  that  sort  to  be  apprehended. 


178  AH  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

They  know  too  well  that  it  was  England  that  made  them 
slaves,  and  some  of  them  can  still  remember  being  pent 
in  the  hold  of  the  British  ship  that  brought  them  to 
America." 

"Ah,  it  was  an  unrighteous  thing  that  England  did 
when  she  forced  slavery  on  the  colonies,"  lamented  the 
old  Quaker.  "  It  was  a  violation  of  the  spirit  of  her 
own  common  law.  No  wonder  that  John  Woolman  has 
lifted  up  his  voice  against  it ;  and,  thank  God,  it  has  not 
been  in  vain.  Among  the  Friends,  so  well  have  his  ex 
hortations  been  heeded,  there  is  scarcely  a  family  that 
has  not  freed  its  slaves  ;  and  I  should  rejoice,  Aaron,  to 
see  thee  follow  their  example." 

"I  have  already  tried  to  do  it,  father;  but  Timothy 
and  Hagar  refuse  to  take  their  freedom.  They  know  no 
other  home,  and  while  you  and  Margaret  stay  I  have 
no  fear  of  their  wishing  to  change.  In  fact,  I  doubt  if 
any  of  them  could  be  won  over  by  the  enemy.  Look  at 
Tobe.  Do  you  think  that  any  amount  of  persuasion 
would  make  him  disloyal  to  the  Gardiners?  And  I 
should  like  to  see  the  redcoat  that  could  win  old  Sharper 
from  his  allegiance  to  '  Marse  Stratton.'  It  is  the  same 
with  Squire  Hedges'  Jake  and  the  Mackies'  Pomp. 
Still,  it  is  their  right  to  be  free  ;  and,  whether  the  resolu 
tion  passed  by  Congress  that  no  more  African  slaves 
shall  be  imported  into  any  of  the  colonies  be  enforced 
or  not,  of  one  thing  you  may  be  certain,  father  —  when 
we  have  won  our  own  freedom,  we  are  not  going  to 
allow  any  more  slaves  to  be  brought  to  the  East  End." 

"That  is    bravely  said,  Aaron,"  John  Thurston   re- 


DOOMED.  179 

marked  gloomily  ;  "  but  it  bids  fair  to  be  a  far  call  from 
now  to  the  day  when  we  ourselves  shall  be  free  men." 

"  Courage,  man,  courage;  it  is  bound  to  come,"  said 
Aaron  ;  "  and  it  may  be  nearer  than  we  think." 

"  Be  it  near  or  far,  we  have  sore  need  of  courage," 
answered  Thurston,  pressing  his  lips  together. 

And  never  did  men  submit  with  nobler  courage  to  a 
harsh  but  inevitable  decree,  than  did  these  patriots  of 
the  East  End.  To  be  thus  abandoned  in  their  extremity 
seemed  indeed  a  poor  return  for  their  devotion  to  the 
cause  ;  but  they  felt  that  the  measure  was  one  that  the 
exigencies  of  war  made  imperative,  and  preparations  for 
the  exodus  were  begun  at  once,  spurred  on  by  the  rumor 
that  a  detachment  of  three  hundred  horse  and  a  company 
of  infantry  were  about  to  invade  the  county. 


l8o  AW  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

EXILED. 

IN  these  days,  when  the  love  of  change  has  made 
"moving"  in  many  households  a  sort  of  an  annual 
May-day  celebration,  it  is  hard  to  measure  what  this 
exodus  meant  to  people  whose  houses  had  been  the 
family  dwelling-place  for  more  than  a  century.  Every 
room  beneath  those  ancient  roofs  held  precious  memo 
ries  ;  the  very  hollows  in  the  door-sills,  worn  by  feet 
that  no  longer  trod  the  earth,  were  dear  to  them  ;  but, 
though  hearts  were  torn  with  anguish,  the  hurry  and 
confusion  incident  to  the  sudden  breaking  up  of  the 
home  left  no  time  for  tears. 

The  exiles  were  to  be  conveyed  to  Connecticut  in 
government  boats ;  and,  as  they  were  allowed  to  carry 
with  them  only  such  of  their  belongings  as  could  be 
conveniently  transported,  it  became  a  hard  matter  to 
decide  what  to  take  and  what  to  leave. 

There  was  not  a  great  deal  of  plate  in  the  community  ; 
a  porringer  or  a  tankard  brought  from  the  old  country, 
a  cup  or  two,  and  the  family  spoons,  were  the  most  that 
any  house  could  boast ;  and  while  treasures  of  this  de 
scription,  that  had  been  hastily  buried  in  dooryard  or 
garden  on  some  previous  alarm,  were  as  hastily  un- 


EXILED.  1 8 1 

earthed  and  secured,  many  an  ancient  heirloom,  more 
prized  than  silver  or  gold,  had  to  be  left  to  take  the 
chances  of  falling  into  the  enemy's  hands. 

But  those  who  had  to  leave  behind  them  nothing 
more  precious  than  worldly  goods  were  accounted  for 
tunate  ;  for  in  some  households  there  were  invalids  too 
feeble  to  be  removed,  and  in  others  those  whom  old  age 
chained  to  the  chimney-corner. 

"They  are  not  going  to  scare  me  away,"  said  Miss 
Mghitable  Hand.  "  If  father  and  Caleb  go,  some- 
body'll  have  to  stay  to  manage  the  farm  ;  and,  as  Job 
Lumley  has  enlisted,  I've  offered  his  family  a  home  on 
condition  that  Job  junior  acts  as  factotum.  Job's  quite 
a  boy  now,  you  know,  almost  able  to  do  a  man's  \vork ; 
and  we  are  to  have  old  Wolf  for  our  guardian  dragon." 

"  Well,  you're  pretty  brave,  Mehitable,"  said  old 
Mrs.  Miller,  who  had  already  expressed  her  determina 
tion  to  "  stay  by  the  stuff ;  "  "  but  it  isn't  as  if  you  were 
helpless  like  Frances  Brewster.  Poor  child  !  what  is  to 
become  of  her?  " 

At  the  Brewsters',  meamvhile,  the  same  question  was 
being  discussed.  For  ten  years  Frances  Brewster  had 
been  unable  to  walk  the  length  of  her  room,  and  it  was 
useless  to  think  of  having  her  taken  to  Connecticut. 
There  was  Debby,  too,  to  be  considered,  —  pretty  little 
Debby, —  and  Lodowick  found  himself  in  a  sore  strait; 
even  his  country's  needs  seemed  scarcely  to  justify  him 
in  leaving  his  sisters  unprotected.  For  hours  he  walked 
the  floor,  tortured  with  indecision.  Frances,  Deborah, 
Margaret  —  how  could  he  go,  not  knowing  what  evil 


1 82  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

might  befall  them  ?  And  yet  to  stay  for  their  sake  when 
the  country  was  so  sorely  in  need  of  men,  seemed  like 
distrusting  Providence.  And  Miss  Frances  was  equally 
patriotic. 

"With  Mam'  Zany  and  old  Neb  to  guard  the  house, 
I  shall  be  well  protected,"  she  said.  "Not  even  a  Tory 
would  molest  the  home  of  a  helpless  invalid." 

"If  Frances  stays,  I  stay,"  Deborah  declared,  when 
her  sister,  shuddering  at  the  thought  of  the  dangers  the 
little  maid  might  have  to  face,  entreated  to  have  her 
sent  to  relatives  in  Lynn.  "  Under  her  wing  I  should 
be  safer  and  far  happier  than  I  could  possibly  be  any 
where  else."  And  Lodowick  being  of  the  same  mind, 
Frances  found  it  useless  to  argue  the  point. 

At  the  Thurstons'  the  house  was  at  first  divided 
against  itself.  Prudence  promptly  announced  that  she 
intended  to  stay  to  "  look  after  things,"  and  that  she 
should  keep  Ben  with  her ;  but  she  advised  her  father- 
in-law  and  Margaret  to  lose  no  time  in  making  their 
escape. 

"  With  his  son  and  two  sons-in-law  in  the  rebel  arm)-, 
as  they  probably  will  be,  unless  some  one  can  bring 
them  to  see  their  folly,"  she  remarked  to  Margaret,  "  it 
isn't  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  British  will  feel  very 
friendly  toward  your  grandfather ;  and,  of  course,  he 
wouldn't  go  without  you." 

But  the  old  man  had  already  decided  the  matter. 

"With  thee  here,  Prudence,  I  shall  have  no  fear," 
he  said,  with  a  shrewd  smile  hovering  in  his  eyes. 

"But  Margaret,  father,  think  of  Margaret!     She  is 


EXILED.  183 

young  and  heedless,  and  would  be  much  safer  with  her 
friends  in  Connecticut." 

Margaret  bridled  at  that. 

"My  father  says  that  I  am  to  stay,  Aunt  Prudence." 
And  the  brown  eyes  threw  out  a  signal  that  Prudence 
knew  meant  danger.  "He  says  that  our  friends  in 
Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  have  burdens  enough  of 
their  own  to  carry,  and  that  as  long  as  grandpa  prefers 
to  stay  I  ought  not  to  leave  him." 

*'  Oh  !  it  is  all  right,  if  he's  willing  to  take  the  risk," 
Prudence  hastened  to  say.  This  had  been  her  home 
while  her  first  husband,  Sylvester  Thurston,  lived;  and 
when,  after  the  death  of  her  second  husband,  Sergeant 
Golby,  of  His  Majesty's  troops,  her  father-in-law  invited 
her,  for  Ben's  sake,  to  return  to  the  homestead,  it  was 
with  the  understanding  that,  while  she  was  to  have  the 
general  supervision  of  household  matters,  and  was  to  in 
struct  Margaret  in  all  housewifely  accomplishments,  she 
was  to  lay  down  no  arbitrary  rules.  Hence,  in  the  pres 
ent  case,  fully  aware  that  she  held  her  position  as  matron 
of  the  house  only  on  sufferance,  she  felt  that  it  would 
not  be  wise  to  offer  any  further  opposition. 

"  But  I  warn  you  beforehand,"  she  could  not  forbear 
adding,  "  that  you  will  have  to  take  proper  care  how  you 
conduct  yourself.  As  I  tell  Benjamin,  it  won't  do  to 
show  any  disloyalty  to  King  George,  nor  any  incivility 
to  his  men." 

"Oh!  I  expect  to  treat  'em  civilly,  if  I  treat  'em  at 
all,"  said  Ben;  "but  I  don't  propose  being  very  sweet 
to  'em,  and  I  don't  believe  Meg  does  either." 


I  84  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Margaret  is  not  likely  to  have  occasion  to  treat  them 
either  civilly  or  uncivilly,"  said  his  grandfather,  putting 
a  protecting  arm  around  the  girl.  "  They  will  hardly 
expect  the  inhabitants  to  entertain  them." 

"Well,  I  don't  know  about  that,"  answered  Ben. 
"They  say  that  up  the  Island  they're  billeting  them  on 
the  people  by  the  wholesale.  But,  the  way  folks  are 
rushing  off  down  here,  it  looks  as  if  there  wouldn't  be 
much  except  empty  houses  left.  But  see  here,  Meg," 
he  said,  lowering  his  voice,  "  if  I've  got  to  stay,  Lod 
Brewster  needn't  worry  about  Debby  and  Miss  Frances." 
And  with  that  he  pulled  out  his  handkerchief,  and  wiped 
his  forehead,  declaring  that  it  was  hot  enough  to  stifle 
one,  which  was  very  true. 

Just  then  Priest  Buell  hurried  in  to  ask  if  the  family 
had  decided  to  remain. 

"It  is  what  we  purpose  doing,"  the  old  Quaker  an 
swered.  "According  to  the  light  given  us,  it  seems  our 
wisest  course.  And  how  about  thyself,  Friend  Buell? 
Dost  thou  intend  to  tarry?" 

"Ah,  indeed  I  do.  I  cast  in  my  lot  with  this  people 
for  better  or  worse ;  and  after  having  been  permitted  to 
minister  to  them  through  thirty  years  of  peace,  it  would 
ill  become  me  to  desert,  at  a  time  like  this,  those  of 
the  flock  who  are  compelled  to  stay.  I  should  almost 
expect  my  venerated  predecessors,  Priest  James *  and 
Father  I  limiting,  to  rise  up  in  judgment  against  me  if  I 
proved  so  recreant  to  my  trust.  With  the  exception  of 

1  Priest  James  was,  at  his  own  request,  buried  in  such  a  position  that,  at  the 
resurrection,  he  would  rise  facing  his  congregation. 


EXILED.  185 

Brother  White  at  Southampton,  I  am  likely  to  be  the 
only  pastor  on  this  end  of  the  Island,  and  here  I  ex 
pect  to  remain  until  the  Lord  takes  me  hence.  But 
there  will  be  few  left,  I  fear,  for  me  to  minister  to ;  for 
those  that  go  will  far  outnumber  the  residue.  It  will  be 
truly  a  deserted  village.  Ah,  look  !  there  are  some  now, 
just  starting  for  the  Harbor,"  he  cried,  catching  sight 
of  a  farm-wagon  filled  with  women  and  children.  "  O 
my  people  !  my  people  !  '  a  people  robbed  and  spoiled.' ' 
Aiad  seizing  his  hat,  he  flew  to  the  street  to  give  the 
exiles  a  parting  benediction. 

Margaret  looked  out  with  sorrowful  eyes.  She  had 
been  hard  at  work  since  early  morning,  helping  the 
neighbors  in  their  hurried  preparations  for  flight ;  but 
she  had  not  the  heart  to  bid  any  of  them  farewell.  Her 
father  and  her  Uncle  John  were  to  start  that  night,  and 
Lodowick  Brewster  was  hoping  to  go  with  them.  She 
pressed  her  hands  together,  and  tried  hard  to  be  brave ; 
but  the  lawless  tears  refused  to  be  held  in  check. 

Presently  her  father  dashed  in. 

"  Come  up-stairs  with  me,  child,"  he  said,  in  a  hasty 
whisper.  "  I  have  something  to  tell  you."  Margaret 
followed  him  wonderingly. 

"  Look,"  he  said,  when  they  had  reached  the  attic. 
"  If  ever,  for  yourself  or  another,  you  need  a  place  of 
refuge,  here  it  is."  On  each  side  of  the  dormer  window, 
and  flush  with  the  casement,  was  a  siding  of  unplaned 
boards.  It  was  a  favorite  place  with  Prudence  for  dry 
ing  her  simples,  —  great  bunches  of  pungent  herbs,  with 
garlands  of  red  peppers  and  shredded  pumpkin,  were 


1 86  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

the  usual  decorations,  —  and  Margaret  said  to  herself 
that  it  would  hardly  be  a  safe  covert ;  but  her  father 
drew  back  a  board  that  had  been  fitted  into  a  groove  in 
such  a  way  that,  by  any  one  who  understood,  it  could 
easily  be  removed,  and  showed  her,  behind  it,  under  the 
slope  of  the  roof,  a  large  oblong  space,  within  which 
was  a  narrow  settle  furnished  with  a  straw  mattress,  a 
pillow,  and  a  pair  of  heavy  blankets. 

"  Remember,"  he  charged  her,  "  no  one  else  knows  of 
it."  And  having  replaced  the  board,  he  hurried  down. 

"O  my  God!  "  she  heard  him  exclaim;  and  at  the 
foot  of  the  stairs  he  turned,  and  caught  her  to  his  breast. 

"God  grant,  little  one,  you  may  never  have  use  for 
it !  "  he  said  huskily. 

As  he  was  rushing  out  he  met  Brewster ;  and  Mar 
garet  saw  the  two  men  grasp  each  other  by  the  hand, 
and  stand  for  a  moment  in  earnest  discussion. 

"  Come  in,  Lodowick,  come  in,"  said  her  grand 
father,  who  was  standing  in  the  doorway,  as  Lodowick 
came  up  the  walk.  And  then,  surmising  that  he  was 
not  the  one  the  young  man  wanted  to  see,  he  was  about 
to  withdraw  ;  but  Lodowick  stopped  him. 

"  Wait,  Friend  Thurston,  I  have  something  to  lay 
before  thee ;  something  that  concerns  thee,  sweetheart," 
he  said,  taking  Margaret's  hand.  "  I  have  already 
spoken  to  your  father,  and  he  approves  the  plan.  But 
he  is  with  the  Safety  Committee,  and  he  says  that  if  he 
is  not  back  by  night  we  are  to  proceed  without  him. 
My  request,  Friend  Thurston,  is  this,  that  Margaret  and 
I  may  be  married  at  once.  Wait,  hear  me  out,"  he 


EXILED.  IS/ 

pleaded,  seeing  a  look  of  disapproval  on  the  old  man's 
face.  "  When  one  goes  into  battle,  none  can  tell  whether 
or  not  he  will  come  out  alive.  The  chances  of  war  are 
for  death  rather  than  life  ;  it  may  be  that  none  of  us  will 
live  to  come  back.  You,  too,  Friend  Thurston,  may  be 
taken ;  and  in  that  case  Margaret  will  have  no  one  to 
turn  to  but  her  Aunt  Prudence.  But  let  her  have  my 
name,  and,  should  she  be  left  alone,  my  home  would  be 
come  her  home,  and  my  sister  Frances  would  be  a  mother 
to  her.  There  is  another  reason,  a  selfish  one,  I  own, 
but  my  heart  urges  it :  should  I  be  sick  or  \vounded,  it 
might  be  that,  as  my  wife,  she  would  be  permitted  to 
come  to  me.  Are  you  not  willing,  sweetheart?" 

The  suddenness  of  the  proposition  almost  took  away 
her  breath,  but  there  was  no  time  to  deliberate. 

"  I  will  do  whatever  is  best,  Lodowick,"  she  said 
quietly,  laying  both  her  hands  in  his. 

The  old  man  was  standing  with  bowed  head,  as  if 
waiting  for  the  guidance  of  the  Indwelling  Light ;  and 
when  he  lifted  his  face  the  young  man  knew  that  the 
guidance  was  in  accordance  with  his  wish. 

"Ay,  Lodowick,  it  will  doubtless  be  better  so.  But 
she  is  young  to  marry  ;  and,  though  I  would  not  counsel 
deceit,  perhaps,  as  things  are,  it  may  be  wiser  to  say 
nothing  to  Prudence  about  it  at  present.  She  might  not 
be  willing  to  give  thee  her  blessing,  little  one,  on  so 
short  a  notice.  Prudence  is  one  that  likes  to  have  a 
matter  thoroughly  talked  over,  and  Lodowick  has  no 
time  to  waste." 

The  young  man  listened  to  this  advice  with  grave  ap- 


I  88  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

preciation ;  and,  having  arranged  to  meet  them  at  the 
parsonage  at  "early  candle  light,"  he  hurried  off  to 
attend  to  the  necessary  preliminaries. 

On  his  way  to  the  gate  he  met  little  Rick. 

"  Good-by,  Rick,"  he  said,  rubbing  his  hand  over  the 
curly  pate.  "  I'm  going  away,  and  you  must  take  good 
care  of  Miss  Margaret.  Now  remember,  Rick." 

"  I's  goin'  to  wemember,  Marse  Lod'ick,  tause  Miss 
Marg'et's  my  dirl,"  answered  Rick,  scanning  soberly  the 
penny  that  Brewster  had  dropped  into  his  hand. 

Margaret,  leaning  from  the  window,  smiled  on  them 
through  a  mist  of  unshed  tears.  Then  she  turned  to 
her  grandfather,  and,  throwing  her  arms  around  his 
neck,  fell  to  weeping  in  earnest. 


A   SOLDIER'S   BRIDE.  189 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

A  SOLDIER'S  BRIDE. 

HEN  supper  was  over  that  night,  Margaret  ran  up 
to  her  room,  and  changed  her  gray  linen  gown 
for  one  of  white  lawn. 

"Eh,  Meg,  how  cool  and  comfortable  you  look!" 
cried  Ben,  meeting  her  on  the  way  down.  "  Everybody 
ought  to  dress  like  that,  such  weather  as  this.  Cools 
one  off  just  to  look  at  you.  And  it's  ever  so  becoming." 

"Oh!  you're  a  flatterer,  Ben,"  laughed  Margaret, 
glad  that  the  heat  served  as  an  excuse  for  her  wearing 
white. 

Her  grandfather  met  her  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  ;  and 
as  Prudence,  fortunately,  was  busy  with  household  mat 
ters,  they  went  out  unnoticed.  At  the  parsonage  they 
were  received  by  Mrs.  Gardiner. 

"My  little  Margaret!"  she  cried,  putting  her  arms 
around  the  girl.  "Yes,  I  know.  Lodowick  has  been 
here  to  tell  us.  But,  O  my  deary,  it  is  so  —  Ah,  here 
is  Lodowick  himself,  and  Deborah."  And,  with  a  quick 
welcome,  she  led  the  way  to  the  study.  A  moment  later 
they  were  joined  by  Aaron  Neale  and  John  Thurston. 

"  I  couldn't  forego  being  here  to  give  away  my  little 
girl,"  said  Aaron,  drawing  Margaret  to  his  side  ;  "  but  I 


AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


you  will  make  the  service  as  short  as  possible, 
Friend  Buell,  for  our  sloop  sails  with  the  turn  of  the 
tide,  and  time  presses." 

"Where  is  Prudence?"  asked  John  Thurston  impa 
tiently,  fearing  that  they  were  going  to  be  delayed. 

"We  have  not  taken  Prudence  into  our  confidence  in 
this  matter,"  answered  his  father.  "  We  could  not  wait 
to  bandy  words." 

"You  were  wise,  father,"  said  Aaron  Neale.  "  And, 
since  all  those  whom  it  most  nearly  concerns  are  here  to 
witness  the  ceremony,  why  make  it  public  until  Lodo- 
wick  returns  to  claim  his  bride?  As  the  wife  of  a  rebel 
soldier  she  might,  perhaps,  be  subjected  to  annoyances. 
What  say  you,  Friend  Buell  ?  " 

"As  a  rule,  secrecy  in  such  matters  is  not  advisable," 
said  the  minister,  slowly;  "but  in  this  instance  the  cir 
cumstances,  I  think,  justify  it.  Lodowick,  however,  is 
the  one  to  decide  it." 

"It  had  not  occurred  to  me  before,  but  perhaps  it 
would  be  our  wisest  course,"  said  the  young  man.  He 
wore  his  soldier  suit,  and,  with  his  high  boots  and  bris 
tling  spurs,  looked  more  as  if  shod  for  battle  than  like 
one  about  to  lead  his  bride  to  the  altar.  John  Thurs 
ton  and  Aaron  Neale  were  similarly  equipped  ;  and,  the 
instant  the  simple  ceremony  was  at  an  end,  they  seized 
their  hats. 

"  We  must  be  off,"  said  Neale,  giving  his  daughter  a 
hasty  embrace. 

"Oh,  one  moment,  friends!"  cried  Priest  Buell. 
"  Jerusha,  my  dear,  have  we  no  wedding-cheer  to  offer?  " 


A  SOLDIER'S  BRIDE.  19 1 

"  No,  no,"  interposed  John  Thurston,  snatching  a  kiss 
from  Margaret;  "some  other  time,  God  willing,  we'll 
have  the  wedding-feast.  Not  to-night.  We  have  tarried 
too  long  already." 

For  an  instant  Lodowick  held  Margaret  to  his  heart ; 
and  it  was  not  till  she  found  herself  in  her  grandfather's 
arms,  with  Deborah  bathing  her  forehead,  that  she 
realized  that  he  was  gone. 

"  Courage,  my  child,"  said  Priest  Buell.  "  '  Weeping 
«may  endure  for  a  night,  but '  the  war  will  soon  be  over, 
please  God,  and  then "  But  he  broke  off  the  sen 

tence,  with  a  shuddering  sense  of  what  that  "then" 
might  hold  of  grief  and  desolation  ;  and,  when  the  guests 
rose  to  go,  he  grasped  their  hands  in  silence. 

"  It  is  a  weary  time  for  him,"  sighed  the  old  Quaker, 
drawing  Margaret's  hand  to  his  arm  ;  and  none  of  them 
spoke  again  until  they  said  good-night  at  Deborah's 
gate. 

At  their  own  house  they  found  the  lights  out  and  the 
door  fastened,  though  it  was  not  yet  nine  o'clock. 

"  Hold  on  !  I'll  let  you  in,"  called  Ben  from  an  upper 
window,  as  Margaret  lifted  the  knocker.  And  the  next 
moment  he  came  on  tiptoe  down  the  stairs. 

"  Did  you  know  that  your  father  and  Uncle  John  have 
started?"  he  asked,  as  he  softly  closed  the  door  behind 
them.  "  Mother  had  their  supper  waiting  for  them,  but 
they  couldn't  stop  to  take  anything  more'n  a  snack  while 
the  horses  were  feeding.  And  Lod  Brewster,  he  " 

"Yes,  yes;  we  know.  Thou'rt  telling  us  no  news, 
Benjamin,"  interrupted  his  grandfather,  with  what,  to 


/IN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Ben,  seemed  uncalled-for  sternness  ;  "  and  now  get  back 
to  bed." 

"  Good-night,  little  one,  and  God  bless  thee,"  he  said 
to  Margaret,  kissing  her  tenderly. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  grandpa?  He's  short  as  pie 
crust  to  me,"  grumbled  Ben,  as  he  .scurried  up  ahead  of 
her.  "  He's  sweet  enough  to  you.  S'pose  if  I  were  a 
girl,  I  might  get  a  '  God  bless  thee,'  too." 

"Oh!  he  is  tired  and  troubled,  Ben.  He  is  an  old 
man,  and  it  is  hard  for  him  to  see  his  sons  going  to  war 
again,  and  his  friends  and  neighbors  driven  from  their 
homes.  Oh,  war  is  cruel,  cruel,  Ben  !  " 

"There,  don't  cry,  Meg;  it  won't  last  forever.  Say, 
did  you  see  Debby?  Poor  Deb!  It's  pretty  hard  for 
her,  having  Lod  go."  But  Meg  had  closed  her  door. 


A  HAPPY  CONFESSION.  193 


CHAPTER   XX. 

A    HAPPY    CONFESSION. 

DAY  after  day,  during  the  following  week,  on  every 
road  that  led  from  the  Hamptons  to  the  Harbor, 
farm-wagons  and  ox-carts  pulled  heavily  through  the 
sand,  loaded  with  those  who,  like  their  Puritan  ances 
tors,  and  with  scarcely  less  of  danger  and  uncertainty  be 
fore  them,  were,  for  conscience'  sake,  turning  their  backs 
on  home  and  friends  ;  and  day  after  day  the  old  wharf 
was  crowded  with  the  exiles.  It  was  under  the  protec 
tion  of  that  stanch  patriot,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Living 
ston,  that  the  removal  was  effected ;  and  more  than 
once,  at  the  sight  of  the  heart-breaking  partings  that 
took  place  on  the  wharf,  the  brave  soldier  had  to  feign 
a  roughness  that  was  foreign  to  him. 

"  England  will  yet  rue  the  day  that  she  drove  these 
Islanders  from  their  homes,"  he  said  to  Jonathan  Hedges, 
who,  with  Colonel  Gardiner,  was  standing  on  the  dock, 
the  two  having  ridden  over  to  see  some  of  their  kinsfolk 
off. 

"Ay,  and  she  well  deserves  to  rue  it,"  said  Hedges. 
"  It  is  an  unrighteous  war  that  she  is  waging." 

"What,  not  going,  Colonel?"  asked  Burnet  Miller, 
seein<r  that  Gardiner  was  mounting  his  horse. 


194  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

The  Colonel  shook  his  head. 

"Circumstances  that  involve  the  interests  of  others 
compel  me  to  remain,"  he  replied,  heading  his  horse  to 
ward  home. 

"Then  you  are  more  to  be  pitied,  I  fear,  than  the 
exiles,"  said  Livingston  ;  "  for  sooner  or  later  those  that 
remain  will  have  to  bow  to  the  yoke." 

"God  forbid!"  cried  Hedges.  But  the  prediction 
was  speedily  verified. 

"  They  say  the  king's  officers  are  on  their  way  down 
the  Island  to  make  every  man  take  the  oath,  whether  he 
wants  to  or  not,"  Ben  remarked  the  next  morning,  at 
the  breakfast-table;  "and  a  lot  more  of  the  folks  are 
going  to  leave  to-day." 

"  Simpletons  !  "  scoffed  Prudence.  "  Can't  they  see 
that  they  are  jumping  from  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire? 
When  this  petty  rebellion  is  quelled,  they  will  find  out 
their  folly." 

"  Be  not  too  positive,  Prudence,"  said  her  father-in- 
law,  suavely.  "  It  may  be  that  the  British  will  be  the 
ones  to  be  quelled." 

"We'll  see,"  Prudence  answered,  with  a  confident 
toss  of  the  head.  "  'Tisn't  likely  that  the  king's  troops 
are  going  to  be  routed  by  the  raw  recruits  that  make  up 
the  rebel  army." 

"Guess  they  wouldn't  call  Uncle  Aaron  and  Uncle 
John  very  raw  recruits  if  they  happened  to  get  in  range 
of  their  guns,"  quoth  Ben,  helping  himself  bountifully 
from  the  sugar-bowl. 

"  There,   Benjamin,   that  will  do.     You  don't    need 


A  HAPPY  CONFESSION.  195 

sugar  on  baked  beans,"  remonstrated  his  mother.  "  Re 
member  that,  when  the  sugar  we  have  on  hand  gives 
out,  there's  no  telling  when  we'll  get  any  more,  the 
colonies  are  so  set  on  their  ridiculous  non-importation 
scheme." 

"Not  until  the  rebellion  is  over,  that's  very  certain," 
answered  Ben,  attacking  the  beans  with  a  relish. 

"Turn  your  knife  over,  Benjamin,  unless  you  want 
to  cut  your  mouth,"  said  his  mother,  severely.  "That's 
no  way  for  a  gentleman  to  eat." 

Just  then  the  Osgood  wagon  stopped  at  the  gate,  and 
Richard  Osgood  and  his  brother  hurried  in. 

"  What,  Richard,  art  thou  going?  and  thou  too,  Joel?" 
asked  the  old  Quaker,  seeing  that  they  were  equipped 
for  a  journey. 

"  Yes,  father,"  said  Richard.  "  We  had  hoped  to  be 
able  to  stay,  but  the  king's  officers  are  coming  down 
to  make  requisition  ;  and,  if  we  remain,  we  shall  be  in 
danger  of  having  to  forswear  ourselves.  Besides,  the 
country  has  need  of  every  man  that  can  shoulder  a  gun  ; 
and,  in  spite  of  our  years,  we  are  good,  I  trust,  for  at 
least  one  more  campaign." 

"And  what  is  to  be  done  with  the  farm?" 

"We  did  purpose  leaving  it  to  its  fate;  but  Grand 
mother  Osgood  was  breaking  her  heart  over  the  thought 
of  giving  up  her  home,  and  Betty  and  her  mother  have 
at  last  decided  not  to  go.  Burt,  too,  stays,  of  course, 
though  much  against  his  will.  I  feel  far  from  easy 
about  leaving  them,  but  there  seems  no  other  way. 
Come  here,  Meg,  and  kiss  me.  We  stopped  only  to 


196  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

say  good-by.  Betty  is  in  the  wagon,"  he  added.  "We 
advised  her  not  to  come  in,  fearing  you  would  find  too 
much  to  talk  about  —  girls  are  such  magpies." 

"Well,  you  haven't  bettered  matters,"  said  Joel,  with 
a  laugh,  as  Meg  went  flying  to  the  gate. 

The  girls  had  not  seen  each  other  since  the  exodus 
began ;  and  Margaret,  with  her  foot  on  a  spoke,  reached 
up  and  kissed  Betty. 

"  O  Meg,  it  is  terrible  !  "  moaned  Betty.  "  What  is 
to  become  of  us?  " 

"Yes,  it  is  terrible;  but  there  is  less  danger  for  us, 
I  imagine,  than  for  those  who  are  at  the  front.  I  shudder 
to  think  of  it." 

"  Madge,"  said  Betty,  abruptly,  "  where  is  Lodowick 
Brewster?  Ben  says  he  went  away  with  your  father  and 
Uncle  John.  Isn't  he  coming  back?  " 

"  Not,  I  fear,  till  the  war  is  over.  And  there's  some 
thing  I've  been  wanting  to  tell  you,  Betty." 

"Jump  in,  Meg,  and  go  home  with  us,"  cried  her 
uncle,  hurrying  out.  "It'll  do  Betty  good.  She  will 
need  cheering  up,  I'm  afraid,  after  we're  gone." 

Margaret  was  not  sorry  to  go.  The  events  of  the 
last  few  days  had  been  a  weary  strain,  and  her  aunt's 
lack  of  sympathy  made  her  eager  to  escape,  for  a  time 
at  least,  into  a  kindlier  atmosphere. 

"O  Aunt  Ruth,  what  a  comfort  it  is  that  you  and 
Betty  are  not  going,"  she  cried,  when  Mrs.  Osgood  put 
her  arms  about  her.  "And  yet  —  oh,  how  desolate  you 
will  be  ! " 

"Not  so  desolate  here  as  we  should  be  amoujx  stran- 


A  HAPPY  CONFESSION.  197 

gers,"  Mrs.  Osgood  answered  quietly.  "If  father  and 
Joel  join  the  army,  we  shall  be  separated  from  them, 
whether  we  go  or  stay ;  and,  besides,  grandma  is  really 
too  old  and  feeble  to  risk  so  long  a  journey."  And,  giv 
ing  Margaret  another  kiss,  she  went  to  the  kitchen  to 
quicken  preparations  for  dinner,  for  the  two  men  were 
impatient  to  be  off. 

"Margaret  will  pardon  us  if  we  eat  in  haste,"  said 
Richard  Osgood,  helping  himself  without  ceremony. 

"She  will  pardon  these  pewter  spoons,  too,  I  trust," 
said  Mrs.  Osgood,  as  she  served  the  samp  porridge. 
"We  have  packed  up  all  the  silver  ones.  Your  uncle 
is  going  to  take  them  to  his  sister  in  Saybrook,  feeling 
that  they  will  be  safer  there." 

"And  the  brass  candlesticks,  and  the  silver  tankard 
and  porringer  that  Grandmother  Osgood  brought  from 
England  go  with  them,"  added  Betty,  her  lip  quiver 
ing. 

"Yes,  everything  of  the  kind,  except  grandma's 
posset  cup,"  said  Mrs.  Osgood,  with  a  brave  smile. 
"  Grandma's  posset  wouldn't  be  quite  to  her  liking  if  she 
had  to  drink  it  from  anything  else." 

"  Grandma  is  as  bad  as  Elias  Pelton,"  said  her  hus 
band.  "  When  he  packed  his  knapsack  he  put  in  that 
old  silver-rimmed  cocoanut  cup — it  has  been  in  the 
family  a  hundred  years  or  more  —  I  dare  say  you've 
all  seen  it  —  and  he  says  a  drink  never  tastes  the  same 
from  anything  else." 

"The  Brewsters  have  one  very  much  like  it,"  re 
marked  his  brother,  "one  that  their  father  carried  with 


198  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

him  through  all  the  French  and  Indian  War.  No  doubt 
Lodowick  has  taken  it." 

Neither  Betty  nor  Margaret  made  any  response. 
Betty  was  grieving  that  she  had  had  no  farewell  word 
from  Lodowick,  while  Margaret  was  thinking  of  the  last 
time  that  the  cocoanut  cup  was  filled  for  her ;  and  only 
yesterday  Deborah  had  told  her  that  Lodowick  had  in 
sisted  on  having  it  put  into  his  knapsack,  though  she 
had  offered  him  her  own  little  silver  cup  instead.  No 
one,  however,  noticed  that  they  had  nothing  to  say. 
The  two  men  were  intent  on  despatching  their  dinner, 
and  Mrs.  Osgood  was  trying  to  brace  herself  for  the 
parting.  Besides,  there  was  a  boy  at  the  table ;  and 
boys,  as  a  rule,  are  no  respecters  of  silence. 

"Wish  I  had  Lod  Brewster's  big  brown  horse,"  said 
the  boy,  irrelevantly.  "There  isn't  another  like  him 
in  this  part  of  the  world.  Lod  'd  better  look  out,  or  the 
British  '11  be  nabbing  him.  You'll  have  to  look  out  for 
Lord  Lion,  Meg ;  for,  'cording  to  all  accounts,  they're 
mighty  fond  of  fine  horses." 

"Then  they  are  to  be  commended  for  their  taste," 
said  his  uncle.  "  And  don't  you  vex  yourself  about 
Lord  Lion,  Meg,  my  dear.  It  isn't  likely  they'd  be 
such  brutes  as  to  want  to  rob  a  girl  of  her  pet  pony. 
But  see  where  the  sun  is,  Richard  !  " 

A  sad  and  hasty  leave-taking  followed. 

"Do  let  us  go  out-of-doors,  Madge,"  cried  Betty. 
"The  house  stifles  me.  It  is  all  like  a  horrible  night 
mare,  the  sorrow  and  desolation  that  have  come  into  our 
homes.  If  we  could  only  find  that  we  had  dreamed  !  " 


A  HAPPY  CONFESSION.  199 

"Let  us  go  to  the  beach,"  said  Margaret.  And 
they  took  in  silence  the  sandy  path  that  led  to  the  sea. 
But  when  they  reached  the  shore,  Betty  broke  the 
spell. 

"What  was  it  you  wanted  to  tell  me,  Meg?"  she 
asked,  her  voice  betraying  her  eagerness. 

Margaret  hesitated,  fearing  that  her  confession  might 
be  a  shock  to  Betty. 

"I  wanted  to  tell  you,"  she  said,  turning  her  eyes 
fjrom  Betty  to  a  sea-gull  that  was  slowly  sailing  land 
ward,  "that  before  Lodowick  went  away  he  asked  me 
to  be  his  wife.  It  was  very  sudden,  dear.  I  hadn't 
dreamed  of  his  caring  for  me  in  that  way.  I  thought 
—  that  it  was  some  one  else.  But  I  love  him,  Betty.  I 
have  loved  him  ever  since  I  can  remember." 

She  longed  to  throw  herself  into  Betty's  arms,  and  tell 
her  the  rest ;  but,  since  it  had  been  decided  for  her  that 
it  was  wiser  to  let  it  remain,  for  the  time,  a  secret,  she 
felt  that  she  had  no  right  to  take  even  Betty  into  her 
confidence.  The  gull  was  hovering  so  near  them  that 
she  could  see  the  silver  lining  of  the  great  white  wings, 
and,  with  her  eyes  still  following  it,  she  waited  for  Betty 
to  speak. 

But  Betty's  only  answer  was  a  shuddering,  sob-like 
breath.  Had  not  she  too  loved  him  always?  she  was 
saying  to  herself.  Still,  she  was  obliged  to  admit  that 
never,  by  word  or  look,  had  he  given  her  any  foundation 
for  her  castle  of  hope.  Friendly  and  kind  he  had  al 
ways  been  —  just  friendly  and  kind,  and  nothing  more. 
How  could  she  have  been  so  blind?  And  how  was  she 


200  AM  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

to  bear  it,  when  life  was  already  so  desolate?  She  won 
dered  why  this  disappointment  had  fallen  to  her,  rather 
than  to  Margaret.  Margaret,  she  was  sure,  would  not 
have  found  it  so  hard  to  bear,  she  was  always  so  light- 
hearted  ;  and  she  was  a  mere  child,  too  —  much  too 
young  for  one  of  Lodowick's  years. 

She  had  been  sitting  by  Margaret  on  the  sand,  but 
now  she  stood  up  and  turned  her  face  to  the  sea.  There 
were  no  white-fringed  billows  rolling  in ;  the  ocean  was 
as  silent  and  as  blue  as  the  sky  that  bent  above  it,  and 
the  surfless  waves  that  lapped  the  shore  slipped  back 
into  the  deep  with  a  scarcely  audible  whisper.  It  was 
a  day  "  as  rare  as  a  day  in  June,"  such  a  day  as  lovers 
love ;  a  day  when  friends,  walking  side  by  side,  with 
hearts  at  one,  find  silence  sweeter  than  speech.  But  to 
Margaret  this  silence  of  Betty's  was  almost  unendurable, 
she  had  so  longed  for  her  sympathy. 

Far  out  at  sea  a  ship  was  drifting  by  so  slowly  that 
the  movement  was  scarcely  perceptible,  and  overhead 
the  white  gull  floated  through  the  amber  air  like  a 
dream-bird.  But,  as  suddenly  as  Betty's  hope  had 
changed  to  despair,  the  golden  light  on  land  and  sea 
gave  place  to  a  dense  fog,  and  ship  and  gull  were  lost 
in  the  gray  gloom. 

"What  a  change  it  is!"  said  Margaret,  starting  up 
and  shaking  the  sand  from  her  skirts.  "It  hardly 
seems  like  the  same  world." 

Betty  shivered.  "It  is  like  death,  it  changes  every 
thing,"  she  said.  And  when  they  set  out  for  home  she 
held  herself  aloof,  and  took  no  notice  of  the  grieved  look 


A  HAPPY  CONFESSION.  2OI 

on  Margaret's  face.  But  she  was  too  sweet  and  sensi 
ble  to  cherish  any  bitterness.  It  was  not  Meg's  fault 
that  Lodowick  loved  her.  How  could  any  one  help 
loving  her?  And  presently  she  slipped  her  arm  through 
Margaret's. 

"I  know  you  will  be  happy,  Meg,  dear,"  she  said, 
stooping  to  pick  up  a  great  purple-edged  clam-shell. 
"  I'll  take  that  home  to  Dulcie,"  she  added.  "  I  heard 
her  wishing  the  other  day  for  one  to  dip  soap  with." 
l3ut  to  herself  she  was  saying  that  no  woman  could  help 
being  happy  whom  Lodowick  Brewster  loved. 

"  How  beautifully  it  is  tinted  !  "  Margaret  remarked, 
feeling  that  the  shell  was  treasure-trove,  since  it  fur 
nished  them  something  commonplace  to  talk  about. 
"  They  make  excellent  dippers."  But  in  her  heart  she 
too  was  repeating  Lodowick's  name. 

They  had  barely  passed  the  sand-dunes  when  they 
were  met  by  Ben  and  Burt.  The  boys  were  running 
full  tilt,  in  a  state  of  more  than  normal  excitement. 

"The  king's  officers  have  come,"  cried  Ben;  "and 
they're  driving  all  the  cattle  they  can  find  up  the  Island 
into  General  Erskine's  camp." 

"And  that  isn't  the  worst  of  it,"  added  Burt.  "  They 
say  that  they're  going  to  make  everybody  take  the  oath 
of  allegiance." 

"I  don't  believe  they'll  trouble  us"  said  Ben,  with  a 
shrug.  "Mother  asked  some  of  'em  in  to  dinner,  and 
treated  'em  to  the  best  there  was  in  the  house  ;  and,  find 
ing  that  she  believed  in  King  George,  and  that  grandpa 
was  a  Quaker,  they  were  as  friendly  as  you  please, 


2O2  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

'specially  after  they  heard  old  Poll  screech,  '  God  save 
the  King  !  '  " 

"  Ben,  where  were  Snowball  and  Lord  Lion  ?  "  asked 
Margaret  anxiously. 

"  Oh,  safe  in  the  stable  !  They  didn't  get  a  glimpse 
of  either  of  'em  !  " 

"And  if  we  don't  make  haste,  we  sha'n't  get  another 
glimpse  of  the  officers,"  said  Burt.  "  Come  on,  Ben  !  " 

Ben,  though  two  years  older  than  his  cousin,  was  still 
but  a  boy ;  and,  leaving  the  girls  to  follow  at  their  own 
pace,  he  hurried  after  Burt. 

"  Oh,  it  is  shameful,  shameful  !  "  cried  Margaret. 
"  How  thankful  I  am  that  father  and — the  others  es 
caped  in  time.  Better  that  they  should  fall  in  battle 
than  be  compelled  to  take  the  oath." 

"  Very  likely  it  is  only  a  report  the  boys  have  heard," 
said  Betty.  "They  may  have  come  on  some  other 
errand.  Look,  Meg  !  look  !  " 

They  were  just  entering  the  village  street,  and  as  she 
spoke  a  party  of  horsemen  dashed  past  them.  The  girls 
drew  back,  but  soldiers  have  keen  eyes. 

"  Egad  !  a  Juno  and  a  Hebe  !  "  cried  one,  in  a  voice 
loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  all  the  rest. 

"  Hold  your  peace,  man  !  "  commanded  an  officer, 
who  was  riding  abreast  with  him.  "  Can't  you  see  that 
they  are  ladies  ?  " 

Fortunately,  the  captain  was  in  something  of  a  hurry ; 
and  those  in  the  rear,  though  they  craned  their  necks  to 
stare  again  at  the  girlish  figures,  were  obliged  to  follow 
their  leader, 


A  HAPPY  CONFESSION.  203 

"Such  insolence!"  ejaculated  Margaret,  under  her 
breath,  as  the  cavalcade  passed  on.  "  Thank  God,  they 
are  gone  !  "  She  had  drawn  herself  to  her  full  height, 
and  her  eyes  were  flaming. 

"  Oh,  they  were  dreadfully  rude  !  "  murmured  Betty. 
"  But  they  make  a  fine  show  in  their  red  uniforms.  Our 

•/ 

men  must  look  rather  dull  beside  them." 

But  Margaret,  with  her  chin  up,  walked  on  in  silence, 
nursing  her  wrath. 

*  It  had  been  from  first  10  last  a  trying  day ;  and  before 
they  reached  the  house  Olin  Dole  met  them  with  the 
harrowing  news  that  Washington's  troops  had  been 
forced  to  retreat  from  New  York  City. 

The  remainder  of  the  month  brought  nothing  but  a 
continuation  of  ill  tidings. 

"There's  been  a  terrible  thing  done  up  at  Hunting- 
ton  !  "  cried  Ben,  bursting  in  one  day,  with  Burt  Osgood 
behind  him.  "Big  Sam  has  just  come  from  the  Harbor, 
and  he  brought  a  letter  to  Cap'n  Mulford  telling  about 
it.  'Twas  Nathan  Hale,  the  schoolmaster.  You  know 
Lod  Brewster  and  he  were  in  college  together."  And 
then  in  broken  sentences  the  young  fellow  went  on  with 
the  tragedy. 

"Ben!"  Margaret  cried,  aghast,  "you  surely  don't 
mean  that  they  sentenced  him?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Burt,  for  Ben  had  turned  his  back, 
and  was  trying  to  swallow  a  lump  in  his  throat;  "  they 
tried  him  as  a  spy,  and  the  next  morning  at  daybreak 
he  was  executed.  Eh,  but  it  makes  one's  blood  boil, 
the  way  they  treated  him.  But  he  was  clear  qrit  all  the 


204  A^  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

way  through.  He  told  'em  right  to  their  faces  that  he 
was  only  sorry  that  he  had  but  one  life  to  lose  for  his 
country." 

"Yes,"  cried  Ben,  facing  about,  with  his  mouth  still 
working ;  "  and  here  Burt  and  I  must  sit  cooped  up  like 
two  girls,  when  perhaps  we  might  be  helping  to  take  his 
place.  It's  a  shame,  when  the  country  is  so  in  need  of 
men.  And  to  think  of  having  one's  name  handed  down 
to  posterity  as  a  stay-at-home  in  a  time  like  this  !  " 

Margaret  made  no  response  to  this  outburst  of  patri 
otism. 

"To  die  in  that  way!"  she  was  saying  to  herself. 
"  And  he  so  brave,  so  noble  !  " 

But  Prudence,  who  had  come  in  while  Ben  was  speak 
ing  his  mind,  did  not  hesitate  to  dash  his  disloyal  ardor. 

"Yes,  take  his  place  and  share  his  fate,"  she  scoffed, 
in  a  high,  harsh  key.  "The  colonies  are  finding  out  to 
their  sorrow  that  it  is  useless  for  them  to  fight  against 
the  king.  And  look  at  the  men  who  a  year  or  two  ago 
were  so  bold  about  declaring  themselves  in  sympathy 
with  the  colonies.  I  knew  very  well  that  it  would  get 
them  into  trouble.  See  what  a  price  they  have  had  to 
pay  for  their  folly  —  except  those  who,  like  Colonel 
Gardiner,  have  come  to  their  senses,  and  decided  to  stay 
where  they  belong." 

"It  is  only  on  account  of  their  families,  mother,  that 
any  of  them  stay,"  said  Ben  stoutly.  "They  do  it  be 
cause  they  think  they  must,  but  they  don't  enjoy  it  a  bit 
better  than  I  do."  And  Ben  snatched  his  hat  from  its 
nail,  and  rushed  out-doors  to  cool  down. 


A  HAPPY  CONFESSION.  205 

A  little  later  Priest  Buell  came  in. 

"And  there  is  more  sad  news,"  he  said,  after  speak 
ing  of  young  Hale.  "  General  Nathaniel  Woodhull  is 
dead."  Even  Prudence  made  an  exclamation  of  genu 
ine  regret,  for  the  brave  general  was  a  family  friend. 

"Think  of  two  such  patriots  being  snatched  from 
us  in  a  day ! "  commented  Priest  Buell,  sorrowfully, 
when  he  had  given  an  account  of  the  general's  death. 
"But  —  the  Lord  reigns." 

k   "Ay,  and  it  behooves  England  to  bear  it  in  mind," 
said  the  Quaker,  following  the  minister  to  the  door. 

Margaret  had  listened  dry-eyed,  the  very  horror  of  it 
all  driving  back  her  tears  ;  but  the  moment  she  was  alone 
she  threw  herself  on  her  knees,  and  with  bitter  weeping 
cried  to  Heaven  to  have  those  she  loved  saved  from  a 
like  fate. 


206  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

IN    THE    FIELD. 

IT  very  soon  became  known  that  the  errand  of  the 
redcoats  who  had  so  suddenly  invaded  the  village 
was  chiefly  to  summon  all  those  who  held  appointments 
from  the  king,  whether  civil  or  military,  to  resume  their 
duties  as  officers  of  the  crown.  It  was  a  demand  that 
met  with  resolute  resistance  ;  but  the  king's  messengers 
were  equally  resolute  in  regard  to  enforcing  it,  and, 
finding  that  resistance  was  not  likely  to  be  of  any  use, 
some  who  had  hoped  to  remain  unmolested  in  their 
homes  made  haste  to  follow  their  friends  into  exile. 

"Those  of  us  who  hold  no  appointment  from  His 
Majesty  may  consider  ourselves  fortunate,"  said  Ezekiel 
Mulford. 

But  one  bright  October  day  the  king's  officers  again 
came  riding  down  the  Island  in  their  gay  uniforms  ;  and 
on  this  occasion  it  proved  to  be  for  the  purpose  of  com 
pelling  every  man  who  had  declared  himself  in  sympa 
thy  with  the  colonies  in  their  struggle  for  freedom  to 
sign  a  counter-declaration.  They  found,  however,  that 
in  this  they  had  undertaken  a  task  even  more  difficult 
than  the  first ;  for  the  people  withstood  them  with  the 
courage  born  of  desperation.  But  there  were  some  who 


IN    THE  FIELD.  2O/ 

saw  in  the  taking  of  the  counter-pledge  the  only  chance 
of  safety  for  their  homes  and  families ;  and  because 
those  that  the  homes  sheltered  were  dearer  to  them  than 
their  lives,  dearer  even  than  their  ideal  of  honor,  they 
yielded  at  last,  but  in  bitterness  of  soul,  and  in  more 
than  one  case  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 

"If  they  go  to  trying  that  game  on  me,  they'll  find  it 
takes  two  to  play  it,"  threatened  Ike  Bennet,  one  of  the 
few  able-bodied  men  who  had  seen  fit  to  remain. 

"It  is  a  sore  strait  to  be  placed  in,"  said  Deacon 
David  Hedges.  The  deacon  lived  at  Sagabonack  ;  and 
early  in  the  exodus  he  had  started,  with  several  others, 
for  the  Harbor,  intending  to  seek  refuge  in  Connecticut  ; 
but,  halting  on  the  top  of  the  hill  at  the  north  end  of  the 
village,  for  a  farewell  look,  he  was  overcome  with  the 
thought  of  leaving  the  old  home,  and  turning  his  ox 
cart  round,  went  back  to  take  his  chances  with  those 
who  had  remained. 

Priest  Buell,  meanwhile,  in  correspondence  with  Gen 
eral  Tryon,  had  been  using  vigorous  efforts  to  have 
the  terms  of  the  oath  modified  ;  but  the  tyrant,  though 
he  had  formerly  been  on  very  friendly  terms  with  the 
minister,  refused  to  make  any  concessions,  and  the 
officers  who  had  the  matter  in  charge  had  come  deter 
mined  to  carry  out  instructions  to  the  letter. 

Before  they  had  fully  succeeded,  however,  in  sub 
duing  these  sturdy  patriots,  they  were  called  elsewhere  ; 
and  the  East  End,  for  the  time,  was  left  to  itself,  aban 
doned  alike  by  friend  and  foe. 

But,  happily,  no  one  had  any  time  to  spend  in  brood- 


208  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

ing.  There  were  great  "patches"  of  potatoes  to  be 
dug,  and  acres  on  acres  of  corn  to  be  harvested,  while, 
gleaming  among  the  rustling  stalks  like  crocks  of  gold, 
lay  the  pumpkins,  waiting  to  be  gathered. 

"  Looks  as  if  a  good  share  of  it  'd  have  to  go  to 
waste,"  said  Olin  Dole,  whose  club-foot  debarred  him 
from  serving  his  country  in  the  ranks,  and  who,  having 
no  fields  of  his  own,  held  himself  at  the  beck  and  call 
of  any  neighbor  who  might  need  his  help.  "What 
there  are  of  us  '11  have  to  buckle  down  to  it  in  dead 
earnest ;  but  there  ain't  men  enough  left  on  the  hul  East 
End  to  git  the  tenth  part  of  it  in." 

His  remarks  were  addressed  to  Ben  Thurston,  who, 
with  a  hoe  on  his  shoulder,  was  about  starting  out  to 
dig  potatoes ;  but  it  was  Margaret  that  answered  him. 

"We  women  expect  to  take  the  places  of  the  men 
that  have  gone  to  war,  Olin.  Before  Ben  and  Timothy 
have  a  dozen  hills  dug,  Ilagar  and  I'll  be  on  hand  to  do 
the  picking  up."  She  had  thrown  back  the  upper  half 
of  the  door  to  speak  to  Ben ;  and  framed  in  the  case 
ment,  with  the  wind  roughening  the  gold-brown  rings 
about  the  eager  young  face,  she  made  a  picture  that 
even  Olin's  melancholy  eyes  found  pleasant. 

"  You  !  "  he  cried,  glancing  from  the  girlish  figure  to 
the  slender  hands  that  rested  on  the  ledge.  "  Puttv 
fist  you'll  make  at  it.  You'll  give  out  'fore  you  git  to 
the  end  o'  the  firs'  row." 

"Oh!  don't  discourage  'em,  Olin,"  growled  Ben. 
"  Somebody's  got  to  help,  if  we're  going  to  get  things 
harvested  before  cold  weather  sets  in." 


IN    THE  FIELD.  209 

"  No,  we  don't  want  to  hear  any  croaking,  Olin," 
said  Margaret,  smilingly.  "  We  may  give  out  occa 
sionally,  but  we  don't  mean  to  give  up  —  not  till  the 
war  is  over  and  our  soldiers  come  "  The  sentence 
ended  in  a  quick-drawn  sigh,  for  who  could  tell?  "O 
God  in  heaven,  help  us !  "  she  prayed,  beneath  her 
breath. 

"  Comin',  Miss  Marge?  "  called  Hagar.  And  hastily 
closing  the  door,  the  girl  caught  up  her  sunbonnet  and 
basket,  and  joined  Hagar  and  Rick. 

They  had  hardly  finished  the  first  row  when  Grand 
father  Thurston  came  plodding  across  the  field.  He 
was  clad  in  an  old  tow  suit,  and  a  basket  on  his  arm 
told  that  he  had  come  with  a  purpose. 

"  O  grandpa,"  protested  Margaret,  "  please  don't  try 
to  do  it !  It  will  break  your  back." 

"  Tut,  tut,  little  one  !  Dost  thou  think  I  am  good  for 
naught  but  to  sit  dozing  like  a  cat  in  the  sun?"  And 
with  that  he  fell  to  work  with  a  will,  and  easily  kept 
abreast  with  the  others. 


210  AH  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

A    PRICELESS    KISS. 

TT7EEK  after  week,  until  all  the  crops  were  har- 
V  V  vested,  both  old  and  young  bent  to  their  unac 
customed  tasks.  And  they  did  not  confine  themselves 
either,  by  any  means,  to  their  own  fields,  but  gave 
whatever  help  they  could  in  harvesting  those  of  their 
neighbors.  It  was  the  same  throughout  all  the  East 
End ;  yet  so  quietly  and  systematically  was  the  work 
accomplished,  that  an  unenlightened  spectator  would 
hardly  have  guessed  that  these  brave  toilers  were  in 
constant  fear  of  being  interrupted  by  the  enemy. 

But  autumn  slipped  into  winter,  and  the  enemy  showed 
no  signs  of  disturbing  them. 

"  If  they  could  see  the  piles  o'  corn  we've  got  ready 
for  huskin',  they'd  pounce  down  on  it  like  a  hawk  on  a 
chicken,"  said  Olin ;  "an'  the  sooner  we  git  it  out  o' 
sight  the  better." 

"Eh,  but  it'll  be  a  job,"  groaned  Ben  Thurston. 
"  It'll  take  all  winter  for  Timothy  and  me  to  get  ours 
done." 

"Thou  canst  count  me  in,  Benjamin,"  said  his  grand 
father. 

"And  me,"  chimed  Madge,  "and  Cousin  Betty  and 


A  PRICELESS  KISS.  211 

Debby  Brewster  and  Dell  Fithian  and  the  Mulford 
girls.  They  say  that  in  East  Haddam  thirty  of  the 
ladies  met  one  day,  and  husked  two  hundred  and  fifty 
bushels  ;  and  we  girls  are  going  to  follow  their  example. 
We're  to  meet  from  house  to  house  every  afternoon  and 
evening  till  all  the  corn  is  husked.  They  are  coming 
here  to-morrow." 

"Good!"  shouted  Ben.  "There'll  be  some  fun  in 
that.  Tell  you  what,  Olin,  you  and  I'll  keep  a  sharp 
k>okout  for  red  ears." 

"Thou  canst  count  me  in  on  that,  too,  Benjamin," 
said  his  grandfather,  his  eyes  twinkling.  "Thou  needst 
not  think  that  thou  and  Olin  are  to  be  the  only  kiss- 
winners." 

But  there  seemed  to  be  a  scarcity  of  red  ears  that  win 
ter  ;  and  of  these  Grandfather  Thurston,  the  other  boys 
declared,  got  more  than  his  share. 

"Besides,"  protested  Ben,  "he  always  wastes  his 
chance  on  Meg ;  he  can  kiss  her  every  day  in  the 
week." 

"Ah,  I  like  this,"  said  Priest  Buell,  dropping  in  one 
day  when  the  huskers  were  working  as  if  on  a  wager ; 
"usefulness  is  life."  And  then  he  fell  to  husking  as 
hard  as  any  of  them. 

They  met  one  afternoon  at  Mother  Miller's. 

"My  old  hands  are  good  for  something  yet,  if  they 
are  a  little  stiff,"  said  the  gray-haired  hostess.  "I've 
just  finished  the  twentieth  pair  of  socks  to  send  to  Gen 
eral  Washington  :  and  I  hope  to  have  a  dozen  more  done 
before  spring,  for  they  say  the  soldiers  are  almost  bare- 


212  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

foot.  In  fact,  from  all  accounts,  they  arc  about  out  of 
everything  in  the  way  of  clothing.  No  wonder  they're 
talking  of  disbanding.  But  I  guess  the  general  "11  be 

o  o  o  o 

able  to  hold  'em  together.  'Zek'el  Mulford  says  they 
come  as  near  to  worshipping  him  as  they  very  well  can, 
without  breaking  the  first  commandment." 

"I  should  think  they  might,"  said  Miss  Mehitable 
Hand;  "they  say  he's  like  a  father  to  them.  There 
isn't  another  man  in  the  world  that  I  so  long  to  see.'' 

"I'm  ahead  of  you  there,  Mehitable,"  said  Mother 
Miller,  stopping  her  husking  to  take  a  pinch  of  home 
made  snuff.  "  'Twas  in  —  let  me  see,  must  have  been 
about  'v7.  Anyway,  it  was  something  like  twenty  years 

+J  t  <J  *l   *  c7  */*- 

ago.  I  was  in  Sterling  (Greenport)  visiting  Aunt  Betsy 
Brown ;  and  one  day  I  happened  to  run  into  Booth's  tav 
ern  to  see  Mary  Havens,  who  was  over  from  Hog  Neck, 
staying  with  the  Booth  girls,  —  you  know  she  married 
Nathan'el  Tuthill  of  Oysterponds,  —  and  while  I  was 
there  who  should  walk  in  but  Colonel  George  Washing 
ton,  on  his  way  to  Boston.1  lie  couldn't  have  been 
more  than  twenty-five  or  six  ;  but  everybody  was  talking 
about  his  being  such  a  hero  in  the  French  and  Indian 
War,  and  we  all  thought  ourselves  mighty  lucky  to  get 
even  a  look  at  him.  But  we  were  favored  far  beyond 
that,  for  he  was  there  nearly  three  hours.  Mary 
Youngs,  I  remember,  was  there  too  ;  and  lie  was  as  po 
lite  to  all  of  us  as  if  we'd  been  duchesses.  He  was  a 
tall  man,  straight  and  comely,  and  as  dignified  as  a  par 
son.  But,  la  !  you  couldn't  feel  any  more  afraid  of  him 

1  This  incident  is  true  in  every  particular. 


A   PRICELESS  KISS.  21  3 

than  if  he'd  been  your  brother,  he  was  so  mild-mannered 
and  pleasant-spoken.  Somehow  he  made  us  feel  as  if 
he'd  known  us  all  his  life  ;  and,  when  his  man  came  to 
tell  him  that  his  boat  was  ready  to  start,  he  took  each  of 
us  by  the  hand,  and,  saluting  us  with  a  kiss,  asked  us 
to  let  our  prayers  go  with  him.  I  can  tell  you  it  took 

JT  «/  O  *J 

our  breath  away,  it  was  so  unexpected  ;  but  his  manner 
was  so  gentle  and  respectful  that  it  made  it  seem  like  a 
benediction.  Mary  Havens  used  to  say  " 

"O  Mother  Miller!"  cried  Deborah  Brewster,  drop 
ping  the  ear  she  was  husking,  and  throwing  her  arms 
about  the  old  lady,  "please  show  us  which  side  it 
was." 

Mrs.  Miller  laid  a  wrinkled  finger  on  her  left  cheek, 
in  a  little  hollow  that  looked  as  if  it  might  once  have 
been  a  dimple. 

"  It  was  that  one,  child  ;  and  you  can  kiss  it  and  wel 
come.  If  ever  I  should  meet  him  again  I'd  remind  him 
of  it,  if  I  could  get  up  courage  enough,  and  claim  one 
for  t'other  side." 

"You  didn't  finish  telling  us  what  Mary  Havens  used 
to  say,"  Del  Fithian  reminded  her. 

"  Oh  !  she  always  declared  that  she  was  never  going 
to  let  any  human  being  kiss  the  cheek  that  Washington 
had  so  honored.  But  probably  Nathan'el  persuaded  her 
to  change  her  mind." 

"Well,  I  shouldn't  have  blamed  her  if  she'd  held  to 
it,"  said  Miss  Mehitable.  "A  kiss  like  that  was  some 
thing  to  be  proud  of  all  one's  life.  And  I'm  glad  to 
know  that  he's  so  human.  Someway  I'd  taken  the  idea 


214.  A^  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

that  he  was  almost  too  precise  and  dignified  to  kiss  even 
his  wife." 

"That's  because  you've  never  seen  him,  Mehitable. 
He  had  the  kindest  face  I  ever  saw  for  a  man.  Yet  it 
was  a  strong  face  too ;  and  I  don't  know  as  I  ever  saw 
a  handsomer  looking  man,  unless  it  \vas  young  Stephen 
Sayre.  But  it  wasn't  so  much  his  handsomeness  you 
thought  of,  as  the  good  and  noble  look  he  had." 

"  What  surprises  me  the  most  of  anything,"  said  Amy 
Mulford,  "is  his  having  the  courage  to  do  it;  I've 
always  heard  that  he's  such  a  bashful  man." 

"Oh!  I  dare  say,  my  dear,  it  was  the  fashion  down 
where  he  came  from,"  answered  Mother  Miller. 

"  Eh,  look  !  "  cried  Ben  Thurston,  "  gran'dad's  found 
another  red  ear." 

Dell  Fithian  sat  on  one  side  of  the  old  man,  and  Deb 
orah  Brewster  on  the  other ;  but,  instead  of  taking  his 
reward  from  either  of  the  rosy  cheeks  so  close  at  hand, 
he  crossed  the  room,  and  laid  the  red  ear  in  Mother 
Miller's  lap. 

"To  dare  to  claim  my  guerdon  from  the  cheek  that 
Washington  has  kissed,"  he  said  gravely,  but  with  a 
crinkle  at  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  "would  savor  of 
presumption ;  but  with  thy  leave,  Friend  Phebe,  I  will 
do  mvself  the  honor  to  salute  the  other  side."  And 

J 

he  gallantly  touched  his  lips  to  Mother  Miller's  right 
cheek. 

"  Grandpa's  in  luck,"  whispered  Ben  to  Olin  Dole. 
"But  if  I'd  been  in  his  place,  I  don't  believe  I'd  have 
taken  the  trouble  to  go  way  across  the  room." 


A   PRICELESS  KISS.  21$ 

Olin,  too,  was  feeling  a  little  envious ;  for,  though  he 
had  husked  diligently,  he  had  found  no  prizes. 

"  Yes,"  he  said  dejectedly,  turning  back  the  covering 
from  another  disappointing  ear,  "  he's  lucky,  but  he's 
sensible  too.  He  kin  kiss  a  pretty  girl  most  any  day, 
but  'tain't  often  one  gits  a  chance  to  kiss  anybody  Gena'l 
Washin'ton's  kissed." 

"  Speaking  of  Stephen  Sayre,"1  remarked  Miss  Me- 
hitable,  "  they  say  he's  been  appointed  high  sheriff  of 
Ivonclon.  Just  think  of  it,  little  Stephen  Sayre  !  Why, 
I've  trotted  him  on  my  knee  many  a  time  when  he  was 
toddling  round  in  pinafores.  I  used  to  be  visiting  the 
Howells  at  Southampton  a  good  deal  in  those  days,  and 
Stevie  was  quite  a  pet  with  them.  I  believe  he  was 
related  to  them  in  some  way ;  and  the  last  time  I  was 
there,  Joanna  was  showing  me  a  picture  of  him  painted 
on  ivory,  and  it  almost  looked  as  if  it  could  speak,  it 
was  so  lifelike.2  She  says  he  has  married  a  lady  of 
rank,  and  is  a  great  favorite  in  London  society.  I  don't 
wonder  at  it,  either ;  for  he  was  handsome  as  a  prince  — 
and  such  manners  !  " 

"Well,  I  can't  say's  I  think  much  of  Americans  that 
go  hobnobbin'  with  the  English  in  sech  times  as  these," 
said  Olin.  "  Might  better  be  home  here  rlghtin'  for  their 
country." 

"  Oh,  don't  you  worry  about  Stephen,"  retorted  Miss 
Hitty.  "  He's  all  right.  Joanna  «ays  he's  the  stanchest 
sort  of  a  Whig,  and  he  doesn't  mince  matters  in  telling 

1  Stephen  Sayre  was  a  native  of  Quoge,  Long  Island. 

2  This  miniature  is  still  in  the  Howell  family. 


2l6  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

the  English  what  he  thinks  of  their  treatment  of  the 
colonies." 

"  Hi !  See  that,  will  you  !  "  cried  Ben,  holding  up  an 
ear,  every  grain  of  which  was  as  red  as  a  ruby.  And 
while  the  rest  of  the  company  looked  on  with  smiling 
appreciation,  he  proudly  presented  it  to  Debby  Brewster. 

"I  declare,"  said  Mother  Miller,  "it  does  one  good 
to  see  the  young  folks  enjoying  themselves.  It  makes 
it  almost  seem  as  if  there  wasn't  any  such  thing  as  war." 

But  before  the  husking  was  over  Captain  Mulford 
came  in.  He  looked  pale  and  troubled. 

"The  British  have  captured  Fort  Washington,"  he 
said,  aside,  to  his  daughter;  "  and  more  than  two  thou 
sand  of  our  men  taken  with  it  were  marched  off  to  New 
York  at  midnight  to  be  thrust  into  prison." 

He  spoke  in  an  undertone,  but  the  room  had  suddenly 
become  so  still  that  every  one  caught  the  import  of  his 
words  ;  and  the  little  company  broke  up  with  newly  bur 
dened  hearts,  not  knowing  who  of  their  friends  might 
have  been  in  Fort  Washington  at  the  time. 


A   WELCOME   GUEST.  2I/ 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A    WELCOME    GUEST. 

all  that  dreary  winter,  at  wheel  and  loom, 
-  JL  the  women  wrought  with  steadfast  heroism,  spin 
ning  joyless  imaginings  the  while,  and  weaving  in  tears 
and  prayers  with  warp  and  woof. 

And  not  the  least  part  of  their  daily  martyrdom  was 
their  sense  of  utter  isolation  ;  for  the  British  had  closed 
the  post-offices  the  entire  length  of  the  Island,  and  it 
was  only  by  private  hand  that  letters  could  be  brought 
or  sent. 

One  day,  in  the  latter  part  of  February,  a  peddler 
called  at  the  Thurston's.  He  carried,  in  addition  to  a 
few  ribbons  and  handkerchiefs,  the  usual  assortment  of 
thread,  tape,  and  needles ;  and  Prudence,  glad  of  a 
chance  to  replenish  her  work-basket,  gave  him  a  cordial 
welcome. 

Margaret,  too,  was  eager  to  inspect  his  stock. 

"  Here,  grandpa,  here  is  just  what  you  want  in  the 
way  of  handkerchiefs,''  she  said,  as  she  knelt  by  the 
open  pack.  "  See  how  fine  and  soft  they  are  !  " 

"Nay,  little  one,  thou  wouldst  lead  me  into  extrava 
gance.  In  times  like  these  there  is  no  money  to  spare 
for  such  luxuries  as  silk  handkerchiefs."  And  the  old 


2l8  AH  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

man  turned  away,  and  addressed  himself  to  the  peddler. 
"  Where  dost  thou  hail  from,  friend?  " 

Prudence  was  just  then  called  from  the  room  ;  and  the 
peddler,  pushing  back  a  mass  of  black  hair  from  his 
forehead,  bent  and  kissed  Margaret. 

"  Father !  "  cried  the  girl,  in  a  smothered  whisper. 

"What,  Aaron,  is  it  thou?"  asked  the  old  Quaker, 
grasping  the  peddler  by  the  hand. 

"  Sh  —  sh,  father!  Since  Prudence  does  not  recog 
nize  me,  it  is  not  necessary  to  tell  her  who  I  am.  John 
and  I  are  with  General  Wooster,  but  Lodowick  has  been 
all  winter  with  Washington  in  the  Jerseys.  And  some 
grand  work  has  been  done  there,  as  doubtless  you  have 
heard.  The  British  are  learning  to  their  cost  how 
Americans  can  fight.  But  our  men  are  suffering  terri 
bly  for  lack  of  proper  food  and  clothing.  There  is 
scarcely  a  regiment  that  is  not  in  rags  ;  and  their  feet  are 
so  poorly  protected  that  the  enemy  has  more  than  once 
tracked  them  by  the  blood-stained  prints  in  the  snow. 
By  the  way,  daughter,  here's  something  Lodowick  man 
aged  to  send  me  by  one  of  our  scouts." 

It  was  only  a  hurried  scrawl,  entreating  help  for  the 
soldiers  in  the  way  of  clothing ;  but  it  told  that  he  was 
alive,  and  Margaret  read  it  greedily. 

"And  now,"  said  her  father,  "  if  you  have  been  knit 
ting  any  socks,  or  if  there  are  any  to  be  had  in  the  neigh 
borhood,  get  them  together  as  quickly  as  possible,  and 
I'll  secrete  them  in  my  pack." 

And  Margaret,  with  a  lighter  heart  than  she  had 
known  for  many  a  day,  set  off  to  canvass  the  village. 


"'FATHER!'  CRIED  MARGARET  ix  A  SMOTHERED  WHISPER.' 


A    WELCOME   GUEST.  2 19 

At  the  gate  she  met  Ben. 

"  He  is  a  Whig,  Ben;  and  he  is  going  to  take  all  the 
socks  we  can  collect,  the  soldiers  are  so  in  need  of  them," 
she  made  haste  to  explain  —  to  reveal  the  peddler's  iden 
tity  at  present  would  hardly  be  prudent. 

"  Good!"  ejaculated  Ben,  hurrying  away  to  call  at 
the  Brewsters'  and  Mrs.  Miller's,  while  Margaret  was 
collecting  in  the  opposite  direction. 

Meanwhile,  the  peddler  had  \von  favor  with  Mistress 
Prudence  by  throwing  off  twopence  a  yard  on  a  piece 
of  ribbon  that  had  taken  her  eye  ;  and  when  the  old 
Quaker  asked  him  to  stay  to  dinner,  she  seconded  the 
invitation,  and  went  herself  to  lay  a  plate  for  him,  and 
see  that  an  extra  round  of  ham  was  cooked. 

The  appetizing  odor  of  the  ham  saluted  Margaret  as 
she  came  back  from  her  errand,  and  reminded  her  that 
it  was  dinner-time.  She  had  but  reached  the  door  when 
she  espied  Ben  coming,  with  both  arms  loaded,  and  she 
hurried  him  into  the  entry. 

"Only  think  of  it,  Ben!  over  a  hundred,  and  all 
bran'  new,"  she  exclaimed,  making  a  hasty  count.  But 
Ben  had  disappeared. 

"Thou  canst  add  these,  Margaret,"  said  her  grand 
father,  handing  her  in  passing  three  or  four  pairs  of 
white  lamb's  wool  that  she  herself  had  knitted  for  him; 
"but  be  quick,  for  Prudence  is  calling  thee." 

"And  here,  take  these,"  whispered  Ben,  hurrying 
back  with  a  contribution  from  his  own  wardrobe. 

"  Ben  !  what  will  Aunt  Prudence  say  ?  "  cried  the  girl. 
"  How  many  have  you  left  for  yourself?  " 


220  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Enough  to  last  till  you  or  mother  can  knit  me  some 
more." 

"  But  how  many?"  insisted  Madge. 

"  Oh  !  one  pair  and  an  odd  one  to  change  with,  if  you 
must  know,"  blurted  Ben,  thrusting  out  his  chin. 

"  Ben,  you're  a  patriot !  " 

"  Yo'  chilens  better  come  to  dinner,"  Hagar  advised 
in  a  stage  whisper,  opening  the  door  on  a  crack.  "  Mis' 
Prudens,  she'm  a  frettin'  'bout  yo'." 

Madge,  who  had  hastily  covered  the  socks  with  her 
shawl,  put  up  her  hands  to  smooth  her  hair;  and  Ben,  in 
exaggerated  imitation,  sleeked  down  his  thick  red  locks 
as  he  followed  her  out. 

"Is  it  not  hazardous,  friend,  for  thee  to  be  crossing 
the  Island  at  a  time  like  this  ?  "  their  grandfather  was 
inquiring,  as  they  took  their  seats.  "We  hear  that  the 
British  ships  are  in  the  Sound." 

"Ay,  that  they  are,  between  twenty  and  thirty  sail; 
and  any  craft  that  doesn't  show  King  George's  colors 
will  do  well  to  keep  out  of  their  way." 

"  The  English  know  their  friends,"  remarked  Pru 
dence,  with  a  complacent  smile,  as  she  replenished  his 
plate  ;  "  and  a  blessed  thing  it  is  for  those  of  us  who  live 
in  this  forsaken  corner  of  the  world,  that  one  of  your 
calling  occasionally  finds  his  way  to  us.  Such  folly  for 
the  colonies  to  prate  about  being  independent,  when  we 
must  look  to  England  for  every  pin  we  use." 

"Be  patient,  Prudence!7'  said  her  father-in-law. 
"  The  time  is  coming  when  we  shall  not  have  to  look 
to  England  for  either  pins  or  needles,  nor  for  any  other 


A   WELCOME   GUEST.  221 

common  commodity.  What  is  manufactured  to-day  in 
England  will  eventually  be  manufactured  in  the  colo 
nies." 

"And  when  that  comes  to  pass  the  poor  peddler  will 
have  to  find  some  other  way  to  earn  his  bread,"  lamented 
the  guest. 

"There's  little  call  to  borrow  trouble  on  that  score," 
answered  Prudence,  loftily.  "You  will  be  able  to  empty 
your  pack  a  good  many  times  before  that  day  comes,  I'm 
Blinking." 

Fortunately,  when  they  rose  from  the  table,  Prudence 
tarried  behind. 

"Ah,  that'll  help  to  ease  many  a  poor  fellow's  sole," 
said  the  old  soldier,  grimly,  on  seeing  the  pile  of  socks. 
"And  when  I  have  delivered  these,  I  expect  to  go 
to  Danbury  for  a  supply  of  shirts  and  blouses.  The 
\vomen  all  over  the  country,  God  bless  'em  !  are  sewing 
and  knitting  for  us." 

While  he  was  speaking,  Margaret,  with  nervous  haste, 
helped  him  put  the  socks  out  of  sight ;  and,  by  the  time 
Prudence  joined  the  family  in  the  keeping-room,  the 
peddler  had  shouldered  his  pack,  and  started  for  the  gate. 

"It  must  be  weary  work  tramping  about  the  country 
with  that  on  one's  back,"  said  the  girl,  watching  him 
from  the  window. 

"  S'pose  I  hitch  up  and  give  him  a  lift!"  suggested 
Ben  eagerly. 

"Doubtless  he  would  be  duly  grateful  —  that  is,  if 
Prudence  is  willing  thou  shouldst  do  it,"  said  the  old 
Quaker,  with  discreet  deference. 


222  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Why,  yes,  go,  if  you  want  to,"  Prudence  answered, 
stepping  to  the  window.  "  It  will  do  no  harm  to  show 
him  a  kindness  ;  and  tell  him  not  to  forget  the  lavender 
silk  he  promised  to  bring  me  to  match  that  ribbon,  the 
next  time  he  comes." 

The  peddler  had  reached  the  street,  but  Ben's  shout 
brought  him  back ;  and,  having  put  his  pack  in  the 
wagon,  he  fell  to  helping  the  boy  harness. 

"Seems  to  understand  gearing  a  horse,"  remarked 
Prudence,  who,  with  her  apron  over  her  head,  had  gone 
to  the  side  door  to  admonish  Ben  to  be  back  before  dark. 

But  the  candles  had  been  lighted  for  an  hour  when 
the  rumble  of  the  wagon  was  heard,,  together  with  old 
Vic's  neigh. 

"Ah,  there's  Benjamin  !  "  cried  his  grandfather,  with 
an  eagerness  that  showed  how  impatiently  he  had 
watched  for  him.  But  the  next  moment  Timothy  threw 
open  the  door. 

"  De  hos  an'  wagon's  kim,  but  Mars  Benj.  ain't  in 
it,"  he  announced,  with  white-rimmed  eyes.  "  Whar 
yo'  s'pose  he  am  ?  " 

But  he  had  propounded  a  riddle  that  no  one  was  ready 
to  answer.  Old  Vic  wrould  never  have  run  away  from 
his  master ;  and  that  Ben  had  turned  the  horse  loose  and 
shipped  for  Connecticut,  seemed  equally  unbelievable. 
But  Prudence  regarded  the  latter  supposition  as  the  true 
solution  of  the  problem,  and  hardened  her  heart  against 
him.  She  would  never  own  him  for  her  son,  she  de 
clared,  if  he  went  over  to  the  rebels.  And  when,  one 
April  morning,  the  young  fellow  walked  in,  looking  as 


A   WELCOME   GUEST.  .        22$ 

if  he  had  been  shamefully  entreated,  she  resolutely  held 
herself  aloof  until  he  could  give  an  account  of  himself. 

"  Oh  !  come,  mother,"  he  protested,  losing  no  time  in 
taking  his  place  at  the  breakfast-table,  "don't  be  so 
hard  on  a  fellow.  It  wasn't  my  fault.  I'd  left  the  ped 
dler  at  the  Harbor,  and  had  just  come  to  Whooping 
Boy's  Hollow  on  my  way  back,  that  day,  when  a  party 
of  mounted  redcoats  dashed  up ;  and,  finding  that  I 
wasn't  a  Tory,  they  took  me  prisoner.  If  Vic  had  been 
ft  few  years  younger,  they'd  probably  have  taken  him, 
too,  but  they  seemed  to  be  in  a  tremendous  hurry ;  and, 
happening  to  have  a  spare  horse,  they  put  me  on  him, 
and  marched  me  off,  leaving  Vic  to  take  care  of  him 
self.  We  lodged  that  night  in  Southold  ;  and  the  next 
morning  I  was  sent,  with  a  lot  of  other  prisoners,  to  Ja 
maica,  and  billeted  at  a  farmhouse.  The  farmer  was 
a  Tory,  and  acted  the  watch-dog  for  them,  keeping  so 
close  an  eye  on  us  that  we  hardly  dared  to  wink  ;  but  a 
beastly  Hessian,  one  of  the  under  officers,  took  a  fancy 
to  have  me  for  his  groom  ;  and  one  night  last  week,  when 
he  sent  me  to  bed  his  horse,  I  let  myself  down  from  the 
window  at  the  back  of  the  barn,  and,  by  keeping  under 
cover  of  the  fences  and  out-buildings,  made  my  way  to 
the- woods.  I  don't  know  whether  I'd  have  dared  to  try 
it  if  it  hadn't  been  for  hearing  that  we  were  to  be 
sent  to  New  York  the  next  day,  to  be  put  in  some  of 
their  underground  dungeons  ;  from  what  I'd  heard  of 
those  places,  I  thought  I'd  rather  take  the  risk  of  being 
shot  in  my  tracks.  I  walked  all  night,  keeping  as  far 
as  possible  from  the  main  road,  and  hid  in  the  bushes 


224  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

during  the  day.  I  intended  to  come  direct  to  South 
ampton  ;  but  I  must  have  got  a  little  turned  about,  for 
this  morning,  at  daybreak,  I  found  myself  at  Riverhead. 
Luckily,  I  was  just  in  time  to  catch  Cap'n  Foster,  who 
was  on  the  point  of  weighing  anchor  to  start  for  the 
Harbor.  So  here  I  am.  The  cap'n  had  come  from 
Connecticut  the  night  before." 

"  Well,  what  of  that?  "  said  his  mother ;  for  Ben  had 
stopped  short,  and  was  giving  all  his  attention  to  the  hot 
cakes  with  which  Prudence  had  piled  his  plate. 

"He  brought  —  bad  news,"  answered  Ben  slowly. 
"  He  said  that  word  had  just  reached  New  London  that 
old  Tryon's  men  " 

"  Do  you  mean  His  Excellency  the  Governor,  Benja 
min?"  asked  Prudence,  sharply. 

"Well,  governor  or  general,  whichever  you  like, 
mother  —  I  don't  know  as  it  makes  any  difference  what 
you  call  him  —  but  the  cap'n  says  that  he  and  his  men 
had  made  an  attack  on  Danbury.  Say,  Madge,  get  a 
fellow  a  drink,  won't  you?  I'm  dry  as  a  flounder. " 

But  Madge  had  started  up  with  a  blanched  face. 

"Ben!"  she  cried,  wringing  her  hands,  "what  if 
father  chanced  to  be  there  !  " 

"Oh,  now  don't  go  to  borrowing  trouble,"  said  Ben, 
trying  to  speak  carelessly.  "More  likely  he's  in  the 
Jerseys  before  this." 

"  Your  breakfast  will  be  stone  cold  if  you  don't  stop 
talking  and  go  to  eating,"  said  his  mother,  turning  to 
leave  the  room ;  and,  with  a  stifled  sob,  Madge  caught 
up  the  water-pitcher  and  hurried  after  her. 


A    WELCOME   GUEST.  22$ 

"  Cap'n  Foster  says,"  Ben  went  on,  finding  himself 
alone  with  his  grandfather,  "that  Tryon  burned  the 
place  to  the  ground,  and  that  it  was  the  crudest  night's 
work  that's  been  done  since  the  war  began.  General 
Arnold  and  General  Wooster  hurried  from  New  Haven 
to  the  rescue ;  and  before  the  fight  ended  Arnold  had 
two  horses  shot  under  him,  and  General  Wooster — he 
was  killed.  Maybe  we'd  better  not  tell  Meg  that,  for 
fear  it'll  make  her  the  more  anxious  about  her  father 
*ind  Uncle  John." 

"Benjamin,  art  thou  keeping  anything  back?" 
"No,  grandpa,  that's  all.  Cap'n  Foster  seemed  to 
think  that  there  were  not  many  killed  on  either  side,  but 
'twas  bad  enough  having  to  lose  General  Wooster.  Our 
folks,  though,  made  it  so  hot  for  the  British  that  they 
were  glad  to  get  back  to  their  ships ;  and  I  guess,  if 
anything  had  happened  to  anybody  we  know,  we'd  have 
heard  of  it  by  this  time.  Anyhow,  I  wouldn't  worry, 
gran'dad,"  he  added,  under  his  breath,  as  Meg  came  in 
with  the  pitcher. 


226  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

A    WANDERING    RUMOR. 

TO  the  horror  caused  by  the  news  concerning  Dan- 
bury,  there  was  added  an  intense  anxiety,  tor  not 
a  few  of  the  East  End  soldiers  were  in  Wooster's  army. 

"But  worrying  won't  help  matters,"  philosophized 
Ben,  whose  kindly  forethought  had  not  kept  Madge 
from  hearing  of  the  general's  death. 

"  But  how  can  we  help  worrying,  knowing  that 
father  was  expecting  to  be  there?  "  protested  Margaret. 
And  when  a  week  went  by  without  bringing  any  further 
tidings,  she  entreated  him  to  go  to  the  Harbor. 

"  Perhaps  the  Colemans  may  have  heard  something," 
she  urged.  But  Ben  showed  no  eagerness  for  the  errand. 

"They  say  they've  begun  laying  in  military  supplies 
down  at  the  wharf,  and  are  going  to  put  in  a  garrison," 
he  objected;  "and  if  you'd  been  a  prisoner  once,  you 
wouldn't  want  to  run  any  risk  of  being  captured  a  sec 
ond  time." 

"  No,  indeed,"  cried  Margaret.  "  I  shouldn't  want 
you  to  go  at  all  if  I  thought  there  was  any  danger  of 
that  sort;  but  Big  Sam  was  at  the  Harbor  yesterday,  and 
he  says  that  there  were  no  redcoats  to  be  seen  in  the 
neighborhood." 


A    WANDERING   RUMOR.  22/ 

'  Oh,  well,  in  that  case  I'll  venture  it,"  said  Ben,  "  if 
it  will  be  any  comfort  to  you." 

"In  that  case,"  said  his  grandfather,  "I  think  we 
may  all  venture  it.  I  want  to  see  Friend  Coleman,  and 
perhaps  Margaret  would  like  to  see  Lucinda." 

"  Indeed  I  should,"  said  the  girl,  starting  up  from  her 
wheel.  "But  if  thou'rt  willing,  I'll  ride  Lord  Lion." 

"  There  is  no  '  thouing  '  necessary  to  get  my  consent 
to  that,  little  one.  It  will  give  Lion  an  airing,  and  make 
a  lighter  load  for  Vic." 

"Ay,  Meg,  that's  the  wisest  thing  you  can  do,"  ad 
vised  Ben.  "  I  doubt  the  enemy's  having  any  horses 
that  could  outdistance  Lion."  But,  before  he  had  fin 
ished  giving  his  opinion,  Margaret  was  half-way  up  the 
stairs. 

When  she  came  down  equipped  for  riding,  her  aunt 
was  standing  in  the  entry. 

"Where  now?"  inquired  the  rasping  voice.  "A 
pretty  time  o'  day  this  to  start  off  pleasuring.  When 
would  the  flax  and  wool  be  ready  for  weaving,  pray 
tell,  if  I  were  always  gadding?" 

"  But  grandpa  wants  me  to  go,  Aunt  Prudence,"  said 
Madge,  as  she  drew  on  her  home-made  gauntlets  ;  "  and 
Lion  needs  the  exercise,  he  has  been  so  long  in  the 
stable." 

"And  what  is  to  hinder  Benjamin  from  exercising 
him?  or  Timothy,  as  for  that?" 

"  Nothing,  Aunt  Prudence,  but  the  fact  that  His 
Lordship  objects  to  having  any  one  but  myself  and  little 
Rick  mount  him." 


228  /IN  ISL/tND  HEROINE. 

"  Yes,  because  he,  too,  has  always  had  his  own  way," 
retorted  Prudence;  "and  so  you  must  waste  your  time 
riding  him  round  the  country." 

"  The  time  will  not  be  wasted,  Prudence,"  said  the 
old  Quaker,  catching  only  the  end  of  the  tirade.  "  Mar 
garet  needs  the  outing  no  less  than  Lion,  and  the  wheel 
will  go  all  the  faster  for  it  to-morrow." 

At  the  hitching-post,  Lord  Lion,  saddled  and  bridled, 
was  pawing  the  turf,  while  Rick,  with  his  hands  behind 
him,  stood  looking  at  him  with  admiring  eyes. 

"  Yo's  bes'  be  kereful,  my  dirl,"  he  advised  sagely. 
"  Ma'm  Hagar  say  he'm  drefful  bunktious  dis  mo'nin'." 

"Ay,  Meg,  you'll  have  to  hold  him  with  a  tight 
rein,"  cried  Ben,  springing  from  the  wagon  to  untie  the 
halter. 

"  Oh,  he'll  be  all  right  as  soon  as  he  has  had  a  good 
run.  Steady,  Lion,  steady,"  she  said,  as  she  put  her 
foot  in  Ben's  hand.  "  And  when  we  come  back,  Rick 
shall  have  a  ride,"  she  added,  smiling  down  at  her 
dusky  little  lover. 

Rick's  round  eyes  danced. 

"  Den  yo'  bes?  huhwy  up,  my  dirl,"  called  the  plain 
tive  little  voice,  as  Lion  pranced  off  beside  the  wagon. 

Old  Vic  turned  his  head  with  an  affectionate  whinny, 
but  Lord  Lion's  impatient  feet  refused  to  keep  pace 
with  the  measured  jog  of  his  venerable  comrade ;  and 
Madge,  thrilling  with  that  keen  sense  of  freedom  that 
comes  to  one  who  is  at  home  on  horseback,  had  no  wish 
to  curb  him.  At  intervals,  however,  when  she  found 
that  she  was  putting  too  wide  a  distance  between  herself 


A    WANDERING  RUMOR.  229 

and  the  wagon,  she  would  canter  back,  not  at  all  sorry 
to  lengthen  the  ride,  the  day  was  so  fair. 

The  road  lay  through  the  woods,  which  were  starry 
with  dogwood  blooms  ;  and  the  air  was  full  of  woodsy 
odors,  fine  and  evanescent. 

"  Oh,  the  sweet,  glad  world!"  cried  the  girl,  in  an 
ecstasy.  Then,  like  a  black  cloud  across  the  sun,  came 
the  remembrance  of  Danbury,  and  the  uncertainty  as  to 
the  fate  of  her  father  and  uncle. 

"  O  Lion,  faster  !  faster  !  "  she  cried.  Old  Vic  might 
come  at  his  own  pace  ;  she  determined  not  to  do  any 
more  loitering. 

She  had  nearly  reached  the  village,  and  was  begin 
ning  to  catch  through  the  thinning  trees  the  sparkle  of 
the  bay,  when  a  bend  in  the  road  brought  her  face  to 
face  with  a  man  on  horseback.  Both  were  riding  at 
such  speed  that  they  came  near  passing  each  other  with 
out  recognition. 

"O  Mr.  L'Hommedieu  !  "  exclaimed  the  girl,  rein 
ing  Lion  in  with  a  suddenness  that  threw  him  on  his 
haunches. 

"  What,  you,  little  Margaret !  and  alone?  "  cried  Mr. 
L'Hommedieu. 

"  No,  not  alone.  Grandpa  and  Ben  are  on  the  road, 
but  I  was  too  impatient  to  wait  for  them.  We  have 
come  in  hopes  of  tidings.  Has  anything  more  been 
heard  from  Wooster's  men?  We  cannot  help  feeling 
anxious  about  our  friends." 

"  Oh,  they  are  all  right !  "  he  said,  confidently.  "  Bad 
news  is  a  swift  traveller.  Word  would  surely  have 


230  AN  ISLAND  HHROINE. 

reached  you  had  any  evil  befallen  them.  And  now 
you  must  turn  back.  It  is  not  safe  to  go  any  farther. 
The  British  are  landing  a  large  force  at  the  Harbor. 
An  armed  schooner  and  a  dozen  brigs  and  sloops  are  at 
the  wharf.  What  they  purpose  doing,  God  knows  ;  but 
we  thought  the  Hamptons  ought  to  be  warned,  and  it 
will  be  well,  perhaps,  to  hasten." 

At  that,  Margaret,  turning,  gave  Lion  the  rein,  and 
both  horses  broke  into  a  gallop.  But  they  galloped  a 
good  two  miles  before  they  met  the  wagon. 

"Nevertheless,"  said  the  old  Quaker,  when  he  had 
heard  the  news,  "  I  think  I  will  drive  on.  The  king's 
soldiers  doubtless  have  too  much  else  to  do  just  now  to 
take  note  of  an  old  man  like  myself,  and  I  have  a  mes 
sage  to  deliver  to  Friend  Coleman.  It  may  be  wiser, 
though,  for  Ben  to  face  about." 

But  Ben  stoutly  refused  to  let  him  go  on  without  him. 

"Then,  with  your  leave,  Friend  Thurston,  I  will  do 
myself  the  pleasure  of  escorting  this  little  lady  home," 
said  the  young  man,  bringing  up  his  horse  beside  Lord 
Lion  again. 

"Oh,  thank  you,  Mr.  L'Hommedieu,  but  that  is  not 
necessary,"  Margaret  interposed.  "  I  am  not  at  all 
afraid  —  going  this  way,"  she  added,  with  a  smile. 
"And  I  will  see  that  the  people  are  warned  at  once." 

But  Mr.  L'Hommedieu  said  that  he  had  business  with 
Captain  Dayton. 

"And  though  I  am  in  haste,"  he  admitted,  "if  your 
colt  can  make  as  good  time  the  remainder  of  the  way  as 
he  has  made  thus  far,  it  will  be  no  hinderance." 


A    WANDERING   RUMOR.  231 

"Try  him,"  challenged  Madge.  And  Lion,  as  if 
comprehending  what  was  expected  of  him,  started  off  at 
a  bound.  It  was  in  vain  that  Mr.  L'Hommedieu  plied 
the  spurs.  His  horse,  though  a  good  traveller,  was  no 
match  for  Lion  in  speed  ;  and  it  was  not  till  Margaret 
came  to  a  halt  at  the  end  of  another  two  miles  that  he 
succeeded  in  overtaking  her. 

"  Well,  well,  that  was  something  of  a  race  !  "  he  com 
mented,  as  he  wiped  his  forehead.  "  It  will  not  be  wise 
*for  you  to  let  any  of  the  redcoats  know  that  you  own 
such  a  thoroughbred." 

"But  surely  they  would  not  rob  a  girl!"  said  Mar 
garet,  her  brown  eyes  wide  with  apprehension. 

"  I  am  not  so  certain  of  that,"  replied  Mr.  L'Hom 
medieu,  realizing  for  the  first  time  that  "  little  Mar 
garet "  was  no  longer  a  child.  "And  a  fairer  woman 
it  would  be  hard  to  find,"  he  said  to  himself,  "unless 
it  were  my  Sarah." 

"They  are  a  lawless  set,"  he  went  on  aloud,  "the 
under  officers  and  their  men  ;  mere  hired  mercenaries, 
fighting  not  for  love  of  king  or  country,  but  for  wages, 
and  because  they  have  an  inborn  liking  for  tyranny  and 
bloodshed.  God  help  those  that  fall  into  their  hands  ! 
It  is  said  that  some  of  our  own  men,  who  were  out  on  a 
skirmishing  expedition  in  the  Jerseys  a  short  time  ago, 
were  taken  prisoners,  and  it  is  feared  that  our  friend 
Brewster  was  one  of  them." 

"  What,  Lodowick?  Lodowick  Brewster,  Mr.  L'Hom 
medieu?"  gasped  the  girl,  with  a  face  as  white  as  the 
dogwood  blossoms. 


232  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Oh,  it  is  only  a  rumor,  child,"  he  said,  quickly, 
startled  by  her  loss  of  color.  "There's  small  depen 
dence  to  be  put  on  stories  of  that  sort  in  these  days. 
Very  likely  there  is  no  foundation  for  it  whatever.  But, 
even  if  it  were  true,  better  by  far  a  prisoner  than  to  be 
among  the  slain ;  for,  remember,  there  is  no  prison  door 
of  which  the  Lord's  angel  does  not  hold  the  key." 

The  girl  did  not  answer.  Her  faith  was  not  quite 
equal  to  the  sudden  demand. 

"Come,  Lion,  we  are  lagging,"  she  said,  presently, 
her  nerves  in  too  tense  a  state  to  endure  the  leisurely 
pace  into  which  the  animals  had  fallen. 

So  Mr.  L'Hommedieu  spurred  his  horse  again,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  they  were  cantering  down  the  vil 
lage  street. 

As  they  were  passing  Huntting's  Inn  they  caught  sight 
of  Captain  Dayton,  and  the  latter  at  once  hailed  Mr. 
L'Hommedieu. 

"Never  mind  me,"  begged  Margaret,  seeing  that  he 
hesitated;  "I  am  so  near  home." 

"I  am  sorry  to  appear  ungallant,"  he  said,  lifting  his 
hat,  "but  time  presses.  And  don't  be  over-anxious, 
child,"  he  exhorted  gently;  "it  will  be  time  enough  to 
grieve  when  rumor  becomes  a  certainty." 

"Ah,  but  Lodowick  is  a  man  worth  grieving  for,"  he 
said  to  himself  as  he  watched  her  ride  away,  "even  by 
one  like  Margaret  —  God  help  her  !  "  And  it  was  not 
until  Captain  Dayton  shouted  to  him  the  second  time 
that  he  remembered  to  replace  his  hat. 


A  DISCOVERY.  233 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

A    DISCOVERY. 

THE  first  object  Margaret  saw  as  she  approached  the 
gate  was  Rick. 

"  I's  a-waitin'  fo'  yo',  my  did,"  he  called;  and  at  sight 
of  him  she  remembered  her  promise.  Danbury  was  in 
ashes,  the  British  were  landing  at  the  Harbor,  and  Lodo- 
wick  was  perhaps  a  prisoner ;  but  Rick  must  not  be  de 
frauded  of  his  ride.  His  mother  just  then  came  out 
with  the  chip-basket. 

"  Toss  him  up,  Hagar,"  said  the  girl,  making  a  place 
for  him  in  front  of  her. 

"Laws,  Miss  Marge!  wha'  fo'  yo'  want  'o  bodder 
'bout  dat  chile?  "  protested  Hagar.  "  Yo's  lookin'  clean 
tuckered  out  now.  Go  'long,  yo'  young  grasshopper, 
an'  le'  Miss  Marge  come  eat  some  dinner." 

"  She  done  pwomised  me,  my  dirl  did,"  urged  Rick, 
his  mouth  beginning  to  droop. 

"  So  I  did,  Rick,  and  you  shall  not  be  disappointed. 
Up  with  him,  Hagar." 

"  Sho'  now!"  Hagar  remonstrated  again;  but  Rick 
was  her  idol,  and  she  ducked  her  head  and  buried  her 
lips  in  his  velvety  cheek  before  setting  him  astride  the 
saddle. 


234  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"Now  then,  Lion,  slow  and  sure,"  said  Margaret; 
and  Lion  obediently  took  a  decorous  pace. 

"  I  likes  him  togv,"  hinted  Rick.  But  Margaret  was 
too  heavy-hearted  to  do  more  than  redeem  her  promise. 

As  they  pulled  up  at  the  barnyard  bars,  Priest  Buell 
came  briskly  across  the  road. 

"I  was  at  the  colonel's  when  our  friend  L'llomme- 
dieu  called.  He  tells  me  he  has  seen  you." 

"Yes,  I  have  seen  him,"  replied  Margaret,  her  lips 
quivering ;  and  without  a  word  Priest  Buell  lifted  Rick 
from  the  saddle,  and  took  her  hands  in  his. 

"Is  yo'  goin'  to  he'p  down  my  dirl?"  Rick  asked, 
with  so  much  solicitude  in  his  voice  that  even  Margaret, 
sad  as  she  was,  had  to  smile. 

"  Yes,  I'm  going  to  help  her  down,"  said  the  minister, 
with  his  quick  laugh;  "but  she  is  my  girl,  Rick,  my 
little  adopted  daughter,"  he  added  tenderly,  as  he  took 
the  girl  in  his  fatherly  arms,  and  landed  her  beside  the 
boy. 

"  Marse  Bruce,"  said  the  child  soberly,  "he  tol'  iuc 
to  take  kere  o'  Miss  Marge,  an'  I's  a-goin'  to,  I  is  !  " 

Margaret  caught  the  little  fellow  up  and  kissed  him. 

"Wa'  fo'  yo'  kwy,  my  dirl?"  he  asked.  But  Mar 
garet  hurried  in  without  answering  him. 

It  was  nearly  night  when  Ben  and  his  grandfather 
returned. 

"Eh,  but  you  ought  to  have  been  there,  Meg  ! "  cried 
the  boy.  "The  Harbor's  black  with  shipping,  and  the 
redcoats  were  strutting  about  on  the  wharf  as  if  they 
owned  the  whole  Island.  I  wanted  mightily  to  go  down 


A   DISCOVERY.  235 

to  get  a  better  look  at  'em,  but  under  the  circumstances 
it  seemed  more  discreet  to  view  them  at  a  distance." 

"And  you  heard  nothing  more?"  asked  Margaret, 
forcing  herself  to  speak  quietly. 

"  No  ;  not  a  word.  But  I  saw  Lucinda,  and  what  do 
you  think?  She  says  that  this  morning,  about  an  hour 
before  we  got  there,  she  had  been  baking  ;  and  just  as 
she  was  taking  the  bread  out  of  the  oven,  three  redcoats 
walked  in,  and  helped  themselves  to  every  solitary  loaf. 
Ske  was  brave  enough  to  tell  'em  that  they  ought  to  be 
ashamed  to  take  what  didn't  belong  to  'em ;  but  they 
marched  off  with  it  as  cool  as  you  please,  without  so 
much  as  saying  'Thank  y' ; '  all  but  one  of  'em,  a  young 
fellow  that  Cindy  savs  wasn't  much  more'n  a  boy  ;  he 
came  back,  and  pulled  out  a  Bible,1  and  gave  it  to  her, 
and  said  he'd  pay  her  in  money  if  he  had  any." 

"  Poor  fellows  !  "  sighed  Meg.  "  I  dare  say  some  of 
them  are  as  badly  off  as  our  own  men,  and  their  friends 
in  England  are  no  doubt  just  as  anxious  about  them  as 
\ve  are  about  our  soldiers.  O  Ben,  if  we  could  only 
know  that  they  are  safe  !  " 

"Yes,  it's  pretty  hard,"  said  Ben,  stroking  his  chin; 
"  but  uncertain  news  is  no  news  at  all.  Besides,  the  war 
can't  last  forever.  The  British'll  tire  of  it  themselves 
after  a  while,  and  want  to  be  getting  home.  'Tisn't  as  if 
they  belonged  here." 

"  But  when,  Ben?  Who  knows  when?"  moaned  the 
girl,  burying  her  face  in  her  hands. 

"  Oh,  don't,  Meg,  don't !  "  entreated  Ben,  with  a  lump 

1  This  Bible  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  descendants  of  Lucinda  Coleman. 


236  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

in  his  own  throat.  "There's  mother  calling  us  to  sup 
per." 

Margaret  turned  to  the  window. 

"  Thou  needst  be  in  no  haste,"  said  her  grandfather. 
And  when  Ben  called  back  to  her  to  "  cheer  up  and 
come  along,"  the  old  man  motioned  him  to  go  on,  and, 
following  at  once,  quietly  closed  the  door  behind  him. 

But  Margaret  instantly  crowded  back  the  tears,  and 
started  to  join  them. 

As  she  was  crossing  the  room,  she  noticed  a  slip  of 
paper  on  the  floor ;  and  on  picking  it  up,  found  that  it 
was  a  receipt  for  two  hundred  dollars  paid  by  Israel 
Thurston  to  Benjamin  Coleman  for  the  benefit  of  the 
soldiers. 

"Bless  his  heart!  No  wonder  he  couldn't  afford  to 
buy  himself  silk  handkerchiefs,"  she  said,  as  she  folded 
the  bit  of  foolscap ;  and  when  she  took  her  place  at  the 
table,  her  grandfather  caught  a  look  in  the  young  eyes 
that  cheered  him  like  a  cordial. 

"  She  has  been  comforted,"  he  said  to  himself. 


A  FAMOUS   VICTORY.  237 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

A    FAMOUS    VICTORY. 

THE  news  of  the  enemy's  occupation  of  the  Harbor 
caused  a  fresh  reign  of  terror  in  the  Hamptons. 

"Looks  mightily  as  if  they'd  come  to  stay,"  droned 
Olin  Dole.  "  Cap'n  Fordham  stopped  to  Mulford's 
wharf  while  Sile  an'  me  was  there  clammin'  this  mornin'  ; 
an'  he  says  they've  took  the  Payne  house  out  on  the 
Novae  road  for  a  hospital,  an'  have  got  a  big  garrison 
in  down  by  the  wharf.  So  there's  nothin'  to  hinder 
their  havin'  things  their  own  way  in  the  Harbor,  there's 
so  few  folks  left  there  ;  an'  'tain't  probable  Connecticut's 
got  any  men  to  spare  to  send  over  to  help  us  fight 
'em." 

But  one  fair  May  morning  Deacon  David  Hedges 
came  galloping  into  the  village  ;  and  before  there  was  a 
chance  to  ask  his  errand,  he  was  heard  shouting  lustily, 
"  Victory  !  Victory  !  Victory  at  the  Harbor  !  " 

He  halted  in  front  of  Nat  Dominy's  clock-shop,  and 
was  soon  rehearsing  the  marvellous  story  to  a  group  of 
excited  listeners. 

"  Colonel  Meigs,"  he  said,  "  came  over  yesterday 
from  Guilford  with  thirteen  whaleboats  and  a  hundred 
and  seventy  men,  leaving  there  about  one  o'clock  in  the 


238  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

afternoon,  and  reaching  Southold  at  six  in  the  evening. 
From  there  —  fearing  that  they  might  run  foul  of  some 
of  the  enemy's  fleet  if  they  tried  to  go  by  water  —  they 
carried  the  boats  overland,  and  after  crossing  to  Short 
Beach,  left  them  hid  in  the  bushes,  with  a  few  men  to 
guard  them.  Then  they  went  to  the  house  used  as  a 
hospital,  and  seizing  two  men  who  were  taking  care  of 
the  sick,  made  them  their  guides.  The  men,  not  daring 
to  refuse,  led  them  around  the  cove  to  the  Harbor,  where 
at  Jim  Howell's  inn  they  found  the  British  commander 
snugly  tucked  in  bed,  and  the  colonel  at  once  captured 
him.  That  was  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Just 
then  an  alarm  was  given,  and  from  one  of  the  armed 
vessels  at  the  wharf  a  shot  was  fired  ;  but  the  colonel 
went  straight  ahead,  and  having  overpowered  the  garri 
son,  proceeded  to  the  shipping  at  the  wharf.  This  they 
found  unprotected ;  and  though  an  armed  schooner  with 
ten  or  twelve  guns  and  sixty  or  seventy  men  opened  fire 
on  them,  they  succeeded  in  destroying  twelve  sloops  and 
brigs,  besides  five  hundred  and  twenty  tons  of  hay  and 
ten  hogsheads  of  rum,  together  with  quantities  of  corn, 
oats,  and  merchandise.  The  enemy  had  six  men  killed 
and  ninety  taken  prisoners,  while  strange  to  say  not  one 
of  Colonel  Meigs's  men  was  either  killed  or  wounded." 

"Ah,  that  was  a  victory  worth  winning!"  cried 
Ezekiel  Mulford. 

"Ay;  and  one  of  our  o\vn  men  had  a  hand  in  it," 
added  the  deacon.  "  Neighbor  John  White  was  with 
the  colonel  through  the  whole  of  it,  and  did  his  full 
share  of  the  work.' 


A  FAMOUS   VICTORY.  239 

"Three  cheers  for  Colonel  Meigs,  John  White,  an' 
all  the  rest  o'  the  brave  company  !  "  shouted  Silas  Post. 

And  every  man  and  boy  responded  with  a  will. 

When  the  deacon  drew  rein  in  front  of  Nat  Dominy's, 
Margaret  and  her  grandfather  were  in  the  shop,  in 
specting  a  clock  that  Aaron  Neale  had  ordered  before 
the  war  began  ;  and  no  voice  joined  more  heartily  in  the 
cheering  than  that  of  the  old  Quaker. 

"  Look  out,  friend  Thurston  !  "  cried  Deacon  Hedges. 
"If  the  enemy  should  hear  you,  you  might  fare  badly 
in  spite  of  your  Quaker  coat  —  as  badly  perhaps  as  our 
brave  countryman,  Stephen  Sayre." 

"  Has  any  ill  befallen  him?"  asked  Captain  Mulford. 

"  Haven't  you  heard?  "  said  the  deacon.  "  Stephen, 
some  little  time  ago,  was  made  high  sheriff  of  London ; 
but  he  is  a  stanch  American,  and  owing  to  his  opposi 
tion  to  England's  harsh  treatment  of  the  colonies,  he 
was  apprehended  on  the  charge  of  treason,  and  thrown 
into  the  Tower.  His  accusers  claimed  that  he  was  plan 
ning  to  seize  His  Majesty  at  noonday  on  his  way  to  the 
House  of  Peers,  and  after  conveying  him  out  of  the 
kingdom,  to  overturn  the  whole  form  of  government  by 
bribing  a  few  of  the  sergeants  of  the  guard.  Think  of 
sane  men  trumping  up  a  charge  so  utterly  ridiculous  ! 

"  But  he  was  acquitted,  and  has  turned  the  tables  by 
bringing  action  against  his  enemies." 

"  Eh,  but  he's  a  plucky  one  !  "  cried  Silas  Post ;  "  an' 
we're  mighty  proud  to  claim  him  as  an  East  Ender. 
Three  cheers,  boys,  for  Stephen  Sayre,  the  patriotical 
American  high  sheriff  of  London  1 "  ft 


240  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

The  boys  led  off  with  another  lusty  shout,  in  which  the 
others  joined  vigorously.  But  hardly  had  the  "tiger" 
ended,  when  three  or  four  redcoats,  appearing  suddenly 
from  behind  the  lower  windmill,  dashed  up  and  de 
manded  the  meaning  of  the  outburst. 

"The  cheers  you  heard,  my  friends,''  replied  Priest 
Buell  suavely,  "were  in  honor  of  the  high  sheriff  of 
London." 

The  soldiers,  who,  as  it  chanced,  were  not  natives  of 
England,  could  not  for  their  lives  have  told  the  name 
of  London's  high  sheriff ;  and  taking  the  explanation  as 
an  evidence  of  the  loyalty  of  the  people,  they  rode  on 
without  further  waste  of  breath. 

"You  got  'em  that  time,  parson,"  chuckled  Silas. 

"Truth  is  always  safer  than  falsehood,  Silas,"  an 
swered  Priest  Buell  with  the  utmost  gravity, 


MORE  RUMORS.  241 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

MORE    RUMORS. 

THE  fields  that  spring  had  been  tilled  and  planted 
largely  by  the  same  willing  workers  that  had 
gathered  in  the  autumn  crops  ;  and  as  the  season  ad 
vanced,  there  was  promise  of  so  large  a  yield  that  it 
began  to  be  questioned  how  it  was  all  to  be  harvested. 
But  by  the  time  it  was  ready  for  the  sickle,  a  number  of 
the  older  men  who  had  fled  to  Connecticut,  and  were 
not  in  the  regular  service,  had  succeeded  in  reaching 
home  unmolested,  and  with  these  re-enforcements  the 
reaping  went  on  bravely. 

Among  the  recruits  were  Richard  Osgood  and  Aaron 
Neale ;  and  Margaret,  working  with  them  day  after  day 
in  the  field,  counted  herself  happy  in  simply  being  near 
them. 

But  they  could  give  her  no  comfort  concerning  L,odo- 
wick. 

Only  once  were  the  harvesters  interrupted.  All  the 
grain  on  the  Thurston  farm  had  been  cut  except  a  small 
piece  of  spring  wheat ;  and  one  morning  while  they  were 
hard  at  it,  bent  on  getting  through  before  night,  young 
Job  Lumley  sprung  over  the  fence,  shouting  that  a  boat 
load  of  redcoats  had  landed  at  Fireplace. 


242  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Margaret  begged  her  father  and  uncle  to  fly  at  once  : 
but  putting  Silas  Post  on  guard,  the  men  kept  steadily 
at  work. 

"It  will  be  time  enough  to  run  when  we  are  sure 
that  they  are  coming  this  way,"  said  Richard  Osgood. 
"Keep  a  sharp  eye  out,  Sile,  and  give  us  plenty  of 
leeway." 

But  Silas  watched  in  vain. 

"  Like  as  not  there  wasn't  a  word  of  truth  in  it,"  he 
growled. 

But  that  evening,  while  the  exiles  were  buckling  on 
their  armor  preparatory  to  making  their  way  back  to 
Connecticut,  they  learned  that  the  redcoats  had  not  only 
landed,  but  had  been  to  Montauk  trying  to  bribe  the 
Indians  to  become  their  allies  ;  and  Big  Sam  reported 
that  Hodson,  the  cattle  buyer,  was  one  of  the  party. 

"Just  what  might  have  been  expected  of  him,"  cried 
Ben.  "And  Sam  says  that  a  company  of  them  landed 
'tother  night  at  Canoe  Place,  and  sneaking  over  to 
Shinnecock,  tried  the  same  game  there.  I  dare  say 
Hodson  put  'em  up  to  it.  But  old  Peter  John,  the 
preacher,  sent  'em  off  with  a  bee  in  their  bonnets.  The 
Indians  know  who  are  their  friends." 

"Ay;  and  their  friendship  is  well  worth  keeping," 
said  his  Uncle  Aaron.  And  then  he  turned  to  Margaret. 

O 

"Courage,  little  one,"  he  whispered,  taking  her  in 
his  arms.  "  One  who  is  a  soldier's  daughter  and  a 
soldier's  wife  must  keep  a  stout  heart." 

For  hours  after  the  house  was  still  that  night  the  girl 
knelt  at  her  window  with  her  face  lifted  to  the  stars. 


MORE  RUMORS.  243 

"Courage!  courage!"  she  repeated.  "O  Christ! 
how  long?  how  long?" 

But  she  wore  a  bright  face  when  she  went  down-stairs 
the  next  morning,  and  not  even  her  grandfather  fathomed 
her  suffering.  Why  should  she  go  about  levying  a  tax 
on  the  sympathy  of  her  friends,  she  asked  herself,  when 
their  hearts  were  already  so  heavily  burdened?  She 
thought  of  Debby  Brewster  and  Miss  Frances.  How 
bravely  they  were  enduring  the  harrowing  suspense ! 
And  how  many  there  were  who  in  all  these  weary  months 
had  nothing  whatever  from  the  relatives  who  had  gone 
into  exile  !  No,  come  what  might,  she  would  strive  to 
be  cheerful  by  day,  and  keep  her  tears  for  the  night 
watches. 

And  hers  was  but  one  of  the  many  thousands  of  pil 
lows  that  during  those  desolate  years  were  drenched 
with  tears  at  night  by  those  who  for  the  sake  of  others 
carried  a  brave  front  throughout  the  day  —  with  dreary, 
hopeless  tears  of  which  none  but  God  took  note.  But 
bitterer  far,  and  like  the  sands  of  the  sea  for  number, 
were  the  tears  that  were  crowded  back  on  the  breaking 
heart  unshed.  And  of  these,  too,  God  kept  the  record. 

Every  sort  of  hearsay  concerning  the  sufferings  of 
those  who  had  been  taken  prisoners  by  the  enemy  was 
on  the  wing ;  and  in  the  lack  of  facilities  for  obtaining 
any  definite  information,  these  wandering  rumors  tor 
tured  almost  beyond  endurance  the  hearts  already  so 
preyed  on  by  despair  and  grief.  Hundreds,  it  was  said, 
of  the  men  who  had  been  captured  on  Long  Island  and  at 
Fort  Washington  had  been  thrown  into  the  underground 


244  ^N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

dungeons  of  the  old  City  Hall  and  the  new  jail,  into 
King's  College  and  the  old  Sugar  House  —  the  well, 
the  wounded,  and  the  sick  being  huddled  together  like 
cattle  —  while  others  had  been  immured  in  those  float 
ing  hells,  the  prison  ships.  In  some  of  these  places  jail 
fever  was  raging  and  the  prisoners  were  dying  by  scores  ; 
they  were  insulted  and  maltreated  by  brutal  guards  ; 
they  were  fed  on  food  not  fit  for  swine  ;  and  their  beds 
—  mere  heaps  of  straw  —  were  so  filled  with  vermin  that 
night  brought  neither  sleep  nor  rest. 

The  people  listened  shudderingly  to  these  grewsome 
tales,  and  tried  to  persuade  themselves  that  they  were 
only  half  true. 

In  winter  advice  of  the  progress  of  the  war  was  often 
many  weeks  on  its  way,  but  at  other  times  it  travelled 
faster.  It  was  midsummer  when  the  news  of  St.  Cl air's 
evacuation  of  Ticonderoga  swept  like  a  tidal  wave  over 
the  Island,  carrying  with  it  fresh  consternation.  But 
this  was  speedily  followed  with  the  stirring  story  of 
General  Stark' s  victory  at  Bennington. 

Scarcely,  however,  had  they  begun  to  rejoice,  when 
word  came  of  the  battle  of  Brandyvvine. 

"  More  than  a  thousand  of  our  men  killed,  wounded, 
and  taken  prisoners,  and  Philadelphia  in  the  hands  of 
the  British,"  said  the  brief  bulletin  that  found  its  way  to 
the  Hamptons  one  peaceful  autumn  day. 

More  than  a  thousand  men  !  and  alas,  who  knew  how 
many  of  the  East  End  soldiers  were  of  the  number? 

But  soon  there  was  another  shout  of  victory:  "  Bur- 
goyne  has  surrendered  !  "  It  went  down  the  Island  like 


MORE   RUMORS.  24$ 

a  rallying-cry,  and  the  faith  and  hope  that  had  been  so 
nearly  quenched  revived  again. 

Many  regarded  the  surrender  as  an  indication  that 
the  war  was  drawing  to  a  close ;  but  the  winter  wore  on 
without  bringing  anything  to  encourage  this  belief.  In 
Philadelphia,  rumor  said,  the  British  were  feasting  and 
rioting,  while  twenty  miles  away  Washington  and  his 
men  were  heroically  battling  against  cold  and  hunger, 
and  the  many  other  ills  that  made  so  drearily  memora- 
*ble  that  winter  at  Valley  Forge. 

And  nearer  home  the  lawless  invaders  were  commit 
ting  all  manner  of  depredations. 

"At  Huntington,"  said  Captain  Mulford,  who  with 
Squire  Osborn  and  Colonel  Gardiner  was  making  a 
neighborly  call  at  the  Thurstons',  "they  have  turned 
the  church  into  a  storehouse.  It  must  be  a  sore  trial  to 
old  Priest  Prime.  He  has  preached  there  for  over  half 
a  century,  and  his  church  is  the  apple  of  his  eye.  They 
have  stalled  their  horses  in  his  stable  ;  and  besides  ap 
propriating  to  their  own  use  his  rooms  and  furniture, 
they  have  wantonly  mutilated  many  of  his  most  valu 
able  books.  But  there  is  nothing  that  so  cuts  him  to 
the  heart  as  their  desecration  of  the  Lord's  house." 

"They  have  no  reverence  for  anything,"  said  the 
Squire.  "At  Setauket  they  have  taken  the  church  for 
barracks  ;  and  on  Shelter  Island  they  are  cutting  down 
the  timber  right  and  left,  and  preying  on  private  prop- 
erty." 

"And  it  was  there  that  Friend  Fox  delivered  his  mes 
sage  of  peace,"  said  the  old  Quaker,  sorrowfully.  "The 


246  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Manor  is  dear  to  our  people ;  it  was  truly  a  place  of 
shelter  to  our  persecuted  ones  when  Boston  in  her  un 
righteous  zeal  banished  them  on  pain  of  death,  and 
twice  George  Fox  was  a  guest  there  in  the  time  of  the 
Sylvestres.  I  trust  our  friends  the  Derings  are  not 
there." 

"Nay,   the   Derings   are   safe   in  Connecticut,"    said 
Colonel  Gardiner;    "so  Nathaniel  tells  me." 


A  LETTER.  247 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

A    LETTER. 

DURING  the  following  spring  and  summer  so  little 
news  of  any  description  reached  the  East  End 
that  it  almost  seemed  to  the  isolated  inhabitants  as  if  the 
rest  of  the  world  had  been  swallowed  by  the  sea.  At 
harvest-time  three  or  four  of  the  farmers  came  home 
stealthily  from  Connecticut  again  to  help  get  the  grain 
under  cover,  but  they  brought  no  tidings  from  those  at 
the  front.  Margaret  had  been  living  for  weeks  on  the 
hope  of  seeing  her  father  and  uncle,  but  neither  of  them 
came. 

"  Perhaps  they  have  been  ordered  elsewhere,"  sug 
gested  Nathaniel  Gardiner,  who,  home  for  his  vacation, 
had  volunteered  to  help  the  reapers.  "  Here,  let  me  do 
that,"  he  cried,  taking  possession  of  the  sheaf  that  Mar 
garet  was  trying  to  bind.  "  It  hurts  me,  little  twin,  to 
see  you  doing  work  like  this." 

"  Oh,  I  am  thankful  that  I  am  able  to  do  it!  It  is 
hard  work,  I  own  ;  but  when  I  think  of  what  our  men 
are  suffering,  our  hardships  and  deprivations  seem  petty. 
They  say  our  prisoners  are  shamefully  treated,  especially 
the  sick.  Oh,  if  they  would  only  let  them  be  taken  to 
some  place  where  they  could  have  proper  care  !  " 


248  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Do  you  know  what  I  am  meaning  to  do,  Madge?  " 
asked  the  young  fellow,  looking  up  with  his  face  aglow 
with  enthusiasm.  "I  am  studying  for  a  surgeon;  and 
as  soon  as  I  am  through,  I  am  going  to  enter  the  service. 
I'd  like  to  go  at  once ;  but  father  says  I  must  wait  till  I 
finish  the  course,  and  that  will  take  another  year." 

"  O  Nathaniel,  how  glad  I  am  !  "  cried  the  girl.  Ah, 
I  shall  envy  you.  But  by  that  time  the  war  may  be 
over." 

"There's  no  hope  of  that,  I  fear.  When  the  news 
came  that  Lord  North  was  trying  to  bring  it  to  a  close 
with  his  '  Conciliatory  Bills,'  there  did  seem  to  be  a 
possibility  of  peace ;  but  it  was  too  late.  If  the  same 
overtures  had  come  before  the  war  began,  no  doubt  for 
the  sake  of  peace  they  would  have  been  accepted ;  but 
if  they  were  accepted  now,  the  blood  that  has  been  shed 
would  count  for  nothing.  No  ;  when  England  acknowl 
edges  our  independence,  we  shall  be  very  glad  to  lay 
down  our  arms,  but  not  before  ;  for,  as  General  Wash 
ington  himself  says,  a  peace  obtained  on  any  other 
terms  would  be  at  best  '  a  peace  of  war.' ' 

"  France  has  set  England  a  good  example  in  that  re 
spect,"  said  Margaret;  "and  the  credit,  I  suppose,  is 
partly  due  to  Benjamin  Franklin.  What  a  wonderful 
man  he  is  !  " 

"Oh,  he  is  half  a  dozen  men  in  one!  See  what  a 
philosopher  he  is,  what  a  statesman,  what  an  inventor  ! 
One  of  our  college  fellows  who  hails  from  the  East  End 
says  that  one  day  when  his  father  was  at  the  inn  at 
Southold  Dr.  Franklin  stopped  there,  and  the  carriage 


A   LETTER.  249 

he  was  in  had  some  sort  of  clockwork  machinery,  ar 
ranged  in  such  a  way  that  every  twenty  rods  a  bell 
would  strike,  so  that  he  could  tell  the  exact  distance 
he  had  travelled.  He  seems  to  be  always  contriving 
something,  Who  else  would  ever  have  thought  of  tying 
a  kite  to  a  thunderbolt?  And  what  would  people  do 
without  'Poor  Richard's  Almanac'?  Eh,  Marjorie, 
you  have  hurt  your  hand  !  " 

"  It's  nothing  but  a  scratch,"  she  said,  gathering  up 
another  armful.  But  already  he  had  pulled  out  his 
handkerchief,  and  torn  off  a  bandage. 

"  What  reckless  extravagance  !  "  laughed  Madge. 

But  Nathaniel  bound  up  the  bleeding  finger  without  a 
smile. 

"O  little  twin,"  he  cried,  "to  think  that  even  you 
must  be  wounded  for  the  cause  !  "  And  with  that  he 
bent  his  head  and  touched  his  lips  reverently  to  the 
hand  he  held. 

Margaret's  face  instantly  grew  grave. 

"  My  heart  is  worse  wounded  than  my  hand,  Na 
thaniel,"  she  said  gently.  "It  is  so  hard  to  wait  for 
tidings  from  those  I  love,  — from  father  and  Uncle  John 
and  —  Lodowick  Brewster."  It  cost  her  a  brave  effort 
to  speak  Lodowick's  name  ;  but  she  felt  that  she  owed  it 
to  Nathaniel,  who  from  childhood  had  been  her  friend 
and  comrade,  to  let  him  know  that  her  hand  was 
pledged. 

The  young  fellow  looked  for  an  instant  as  if  he  had 
heard  unexpected  and  not  altogether  welcome  news. 
His  boyhood  lay  so  close  behind  him,  and  his  thoughts 


250  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

of  late  had  been  so  occupied  with  his  studies  and  the 
war,  that  he  had  not  found  much  time  for  love-dreams  ; 
but  it  had  always  seemed  to  him  that  the  woman  that  he 
should  sometime  woo  and  wed  would  have  Margaret's 
clear  brown  eyes,  her  fleeting  dimples,  and  her  sweet  and 
gentle  dignity,  and  his  first  feeling  was  that  Lodowick 
had  stolen  a  march  on  him.  But  Lodowick  — 

"  I  am  glad  it  is  Lodowick,"  he  said,  frankly. 

As  they  started  for  home,  they  saw  Olin  Dole,  with 
his  limping  gait,  running  to  meet  them. 

"  Be'n  a  big  battle  fought  at  Monmouth  Court  House  !  " 
he  gasped.  "  Our  folks  had  over  sixty  killed,  and 
more'n  a  hundred  and  fifty  wounded." 

"  Yes  ;  but  the  enemy  had  over  two  hundred  an'  forty 
killed,  an'  nearly  a  hundred  took  prisoners,"  added  Silas 
Post,  following  hard  after  Olin;  "  so  the  vict'ry  was  on 
our  side,  after  all.  They  say  't  Cap'n  Jesse  Halsey  an' 
'Lias  Pelletreau  an'  his  brother  was  in  the  battle,  an' 
Stephen  Howell  too ;  but  whether  they  come  out  alive 
or  not  nobody  seems  to  know.  'Twas  Bill  Burnett  sent 
the  news.  You  know  him  an'  Sam'el  Rose  an'  Shad 
Hildreth  are  surgeons  in  the  army,  an'  so's  Hen  White; 
an'  there's  a  rumor  't  Hen's  be'n  took  prisoner." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  it  isn't  true  !  Priest  White  and  his  wife 
will  be  almost  heart-broken,"  said  Margaret.  "  Henry 
was  their  Benjamin.  O  Deborah  !  have  you  heard?" 

They  were  at  the  Brewsters'  gate,  and  Deborah  had 
run  out  to  speak  to  them. 

"Yes;  we  have  heard,"  answered  the  girl  with  a 
shudder.  ''They  say  it  was  a  victory;  but  oh,  to  think 


A  LETTER.  251 

how  many  lives  were  sacrificed  !  Did  you  hear  whether 
any  of  our  Easthampton  boys  were  in  it,  Silas?" 

"I  don'  know  'bout  that;  prob'ly  they  was,  as  some 
of  'em's  in  the  same  company's  the  Southamptoners. 
But  they  say 't  Will  Bray  don  —  he  didn't  egzac'ly  belong 
in  Easthampton,  I'm  glad  to  say,  but  he  use'  to  be  round 
here  a  good  'eal  —  was  one  of  the  prisoners  't  they  took 
from  the  British." 

"From  the  British!  Oh,  that  must  be  a  mistake, 
SHas  !  "  cried  Margaret,  putting  herself  in  front  of  Deb 
orah,  who  had  grown  deathly  white. 

"Well,  that's  what  they  say,"  Silas  insisted.  "He 
was  in  reg'lar  redcoat  rig,  an'  'Lias  Pelletreau  knew 
him  right  off.  Prob'ly  there's  plenty  more  jus'  like  him, 
only  they're  lucky  enough  not  to  git  caught." 

"  Oh,  come,  Sile,"  said  Ben,  who  had  been  leaning 
over  the  fence  in  the  hope  of  a  chance  to  speak  to 
Debby,  "we  don't  want  to  hear  any  slurs  of  that  sort 
on  the  East  Enders." 

"  Very  likely  they  have  made  a  mistake  in  the  name," 
suggested  Nathaniel.  But  he  got  no  answer;  for  Mar 
garet  had  slipped  her  arm  round  Deborah,  and  was 
hurrying  her  to  the  house. 

"Do  you  believe  it,  Margaret?"  asked  Deborah, 
looking  at  her  with  dilated  eves. 

o  */ 

"Oh,  I'm  sure  it  can't  be  true,  dear!"  And  Mar 
garet  was  quite  honest  in  saying  this  ;  for  though  she 
had  never  been  able  to  like  young  Braydon  very  heart 
ily,  she  could  not  bring  herself  to  believe  that  he  was 
capable  of  such  baseness. 


252  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  If  he  had  fallen  in  battle,  fighting  for  his  country," 
Deborah  went  on,  "I  could  have  borne  it.  But  this! 
O  Margaret!  And  why  did  he  deceive  me?  If  he  felt 
that  it  was  his  duty  to  fight  for  England,  why  didn't  he 
say  so,  instead  of  leaving  us  to  think  that  he  had  enlisted 
under  Washington?  But  I  know  it  can't  be  true.  It 
was  some  other  Braydon." 

"  Oh,  it  must  have  been  !  "  Margaret  answered  read 
ily.  But  she  was  too  wise  to  multiply  words.  "  If  any 
one  can  comfort  her  it  is  Sister  Frances,"  she  said  to 
herself,  her  heart  warming  at  the  thought  that  she  was 
her  sister  as  well  as  Deborah's. 

They  found  the  invalid  knitting  in  the  twilight. 

"Another  pair  almost  ready  for  some  brave  soldier," 
she  said,  holding  up  the  sock  she  was  toeing.  But 
something  in  the  girls'  faces  startled  her. 

"  What  is  it,  Marjorie?  Have  you  had  news?  Is  it 
Lodowick  ?  " 

Margaret  shook  her  head. 

"  Debby  will  tell  you,"  she  whispered,  as  she  stooped 
and  kissed  her.  And  then  she  hurried  away,  feeling 
that  Deborah  no  longer  needed  her. 

But  at  the  gate  she  met  Big  Sam. 

"Letter  fo'  Miss  Boose,"  said  the  Indian.  "Big 
Sam  git  him  to  Harbor.  Cap'n  Eph'm  Fordham  he  gib 

•,  O  " 

it  to  oam. 

"A  letter?"  cried  Miss  Frances,  as  Margaret  came 
flying  back. 

"It  is  for  you,"  said  Margaret.  And  the  two  girls 
waited  breathlessly,  while  the  invalid  broke  the  seal. 


A   LETTER..  253 

"  It  is  from  Lodowick  himself,  thank  God  !"  she  said 
softly. 

It  was  written  in  pencil  on  brown  wrapping-paper, 
and  was  hard  to  read.  But  Margaret  was  no  longer 
impatient,  for  within  it  was  a  folded  slip  directed  to 
herself. 

Both  letters  had  evidently  been  written  in  haste.  He 
was  on  board  an  American  privateer,  in  company  with 
Aaron  Neale,  and  improving  an  unexpected  opportunity, 
he^ent  this  brief  message  to  entreat  them  not  to  be  anx 
ious  about  them.  He  had  been  a  prisoner,  but  had 
escaped  at  the  end  of  a  fortnight.  They  were  in  ex 
cellent  health,  and  he  hoped  to  have  soon  some  en 
couraging  news. 

"  It  tells  so  little,"  complained  Deborah. 

But  Miss  Frances  dropped  back  on  her  pillow  with 
a  fervent  thanksgiving,  while  Margaret  hurried  home  to 
share  the  good  news  with  her  grandfather. 

"  Free  again  !  "  she  murmured  to  herself.  "  O  love  ! 
Thank  God  !  thank  God  !  " 

That  evening  when  Ben  had  lighted  his  candle  to  go 
to  bed,  there  being  no  moon,  he  lingered  to  ask  Mar 
garet  a  question. 

"  What  was  the  matter  with  Debby,  Meg?  Anybody 
might  have  thought  Bill  Braydon  was  her  brother  by 
the  way  she  took  Sile's  story  to  heart." 

"He  was  her  lover,"  said  Meg,  feeling  that  she 
could  trust  Ben  with  the  secret. 

"Well,  he  ought  to  be  hung  !  "  blurted  Ben. 


254  ^N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

THE    ENEMY    AT    THE   DOOR. 

IT  was  a  gray-skied,  vapory  day ;  and  Margaret,  who 
was  feeling  a  little  low  in  spirits,  had  come  with  her 
knitting  to  sit  a  while  with  Miss  Krances. 

"  I  declare  I'm  almost  jealous  of  you,  France,"  pouted 
Debby,  dropping  clown  on  a  hassock  at  Margaret's  feet. 
"  Nobody  ever  comes  to  sit  with  me." 

"She  has  been  helping  me  pick  up  stitches,"  said 
Margaret,  glancing  brightly  at  Miss  Frances. 

"  And  picking  up  some  for  myself  at  the  same  time," 
said  the  invalid  with  an  answering  smile. 

Just  then  Mam'  Zany  burst  into  the  room,  and  with  a 
wild  shriek  threw  herself  down  by  the  bed. 

"  Fo'  de  Ian'  sake,  Miss  Franz,  do  stop  dem  needles 
long  'nough  to  heah  de  news  ol'  Pomp's  brung  fom 
Soufhamp'n.  De  enemy  am  come  down  bag  an'  bag 
gage,  an'  pos'  'emsel's  in  people's  housens  dar,  same  's 
if  dey  owns  'em,  widout  so  much  as  savin'  by  yo'  lieb ; 
an'  Pomp,  he  say,  de  firs'  we  know,  dey'll  be  a-comin' 
ober  heah  an'  doin'  de  wery  same  likewise.  De  Lawd 
hab  massy  on  us  dat  we  lib  to  see  dis  day !  " 

For  the  brief  space  that  it  took  Mam'  Zany  to  tell  her 
story,  Miss  Frances  held  her  needles  motionless.  Then, 


THE  ENEMY  AT    THE  DOOR.  255 

though  her  delicate  face  was  a  shade  paler,  and  the  thin 
hands  trembled  slightly,  the  knitting  began  again. 

"  '  Though  a  host  should  encamp  against  me,  my 
heart  shall  not  fear,'  "  she  repeated  quietly.  "  Hand  me 
that  ball  of  yarn,  please,  Zany,  and  be  sure  to  give 
Pomp  something  to  eat  before  he  goes." 

"Well,  ef  yo'  ain't  de  codes',  Miss  Franz!  I  blieb 
my  soul,  ef  I  sh'  tell  yo'  de  hous  's  afire,  yo'd  jus'  say 
a  prawer,  an'  go  right  on  wid  dat  eberlastin'  knittin'," 
grumbled  the  old  woman. 

But  Margaret  and  Deborah  were  sufficiently  excited 
over  the  news  to  atone  for  the  placidity  with  which  Miss 
Frances  had  received  it. 

"Zany,  are  you  sure  that  Pomp  isn't  trying  to  scare 
you?"  cried  Deborah.  "You  know  how  fond  he  is  of 
a  joke." 

"  My  Ian'  sake,  Miss  Deb  !  he  dat  skeered  hisself  dat 
he  turn  pale  to  de  idge  ob  his  haah.  lie  say  dey's  jus' 
a-brisslin'  wid  bay'nets,  an'  swarm'  like  dey  's  pirate 
men." 

"  Oh,  it  is  dreadful  to  think  of  their  being  so  near 
us  !  "  gasped  Margaret. 

"Is  Southampton  nearer  than  the  Harbor?"  asked 
Miss  Frances. 

"  Oh,  but  we  knew  when  they  landed  at  the  Harbor 
that  it  was  chiefly  to  guard  the  port,"  said  Deborah. 
"  It  is  very  different  their  coming  to  the  Hamptons,  and 
at  this  time  of  the  year,  too.  What  could  we  lone 
women  do,  France,  if  they  should  come  here?  Oh,  if 
Lodowick  were  only  home  !  " 


256  JN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Sh-sh,  Miss  Deb,"  remonstrated  Mam'  Zany,  quieted 
in  spite  of  herself  by  the  atmosphere  of  peace  that  sur 
rounded  her  mistress.  "  No  use  takin'  on  dat  way.  I's 
goin'  to  stan'  guard  ober  dis  yere  house,  I  is,  de  Lord 
pomittin'  me,  an'  ef  any  ob  dem  ungodly  heaben  'tempts 
to  pass  de  doah,  dey's  got  to  look  out  fo1  deir  heads. 
Heah  'bout  dat  Mis'  Townsen'  up  to  Cedah  Swamp? 
Tuddah  mownin',  w'en  she's  a-doin'  her  bakin',  some 
ob  dem  deblish  redcoats  come  a-gallopin'  up,  an'  say  as 
bol'  as  a  lion  dat  dey  want  de  key  to  de  grain'ouse.  She 
tol'  'em,  quiet-like,  but  veh  detarmined,  dat  she  ain't  got 
no  grain  to  gib  'em.  Den  dey  'gins  to  swar  't  ef  she  don' 
gib  'em  de  key  dey's  goin'  to  smash  in  de  doah.  But 
wid  dat  she  jus'  up  wid  her  big  bread-shobel,  an"  went 
to  lammin'  'em  so  dat  dey's  mighty  keen  to  git  out  o'  de 
way.  An'  ef  any  ob  'em  come  a-pesterin'  roun'  heah, 
dey'll  fin'  Mam'  Zany  kin  use  a  bread-shobel  too  ;  so 
don'  yo'  worry,  chile." 

"Please,  may  I  come  in?"  asked  a  tragic  voice  at  the 
half-open  door. 

"  Mehitable  !      The    idea    of   waiting    to    ask  !  "    ex- 

& 

claimed  Miss  Frances.  "  We  are  all  taken  up  with 
discussing  our  new  neighbors  at  Southampton.  Have 
you  heard  about  them?" 

"Indeed  I  have.  I  have  heard  nothing  else  for  the 
last  two  hours.  Everybody  is  quaking  at  the  prospect 
of  having  them  so  near  us.  I  believe  I  feel  a  little  shaky 
myself,  but  I'm  going  to  keep  the  bread-shovel  handy." 

"Oh!  had  you  heard  about  Mrs.  Townsend,  too?" 
asked  Margaret. 


THE  ENEMY  AT  THE  DOOR.  2$? 

"  Yes  ;  and  about  our  friend  Hannah  Brown  at  Oyster- 
ponds,  Hannah  Hawk  that  was.  You  know  she  keeps 
tavern  there  ;  and  one  evening  not  long  ago  a  party  of 
British  walked  in,  and  demanded  the  key  of  the  room 
where  the  liquors  were  kept,  threatening  to  break  down 
the  door  if  she  refused  them.  But  Hannah  just  planted 
her  back  against  it,  and  told  them  that  if  any  of  them 
passed  the  threshold  it  would  be  over  her  dead  body ; 
and  though  one  of  the  wretches  struck  the  muzzle  of  his 
gun  on  both  sides  of  the  door  as  near  as  he  could  with 
out  hitting  her,  she  never  budged  an  inch,  and  at  last 
they  sneaked  away.  Tell  you  it  makes  me  proud  of  women 
when  I  hear  of  their  doing  anything  so  brave  as  that." 

"  Oh!  women  as  a  rule  are  not  lacking  in  courage/' 
said  Miss  Frances.  "Even  those  that  scream  at  the 
sight  of  a  mouse  are  usually  equal  to  any  emergency 
where  genuine  courage  is  demanded." 

"Well,  if  the  redcoats  come  any  nearer,  there  will  be 
a  demand  for  all  the  courage  we  can  muster  ;  and  I  hope 
none  of  us  will  show  the  white  feather.  I'm  going  to 
begin  at  once  to  practise  with  the  bread-shovel ;  and  I 
think,"  she  added,  reflectively,  "it  might  be  a  good  plan 
to  keep  on  hand  a  kettle  of  boiling  water,  with  perhaps 
a  handful  of  red  peppers  in  it." 

"  It's  all  very  well  to  talk  about  bread-shovels  and 
kettles  of  pepper  tea  for  those  that  have  the  strength  to 
manage  them,"  scoffed  Deborah,  too  distressed  to  realize 
that  Miss  Mehitable  had  not  meant  her  suggestion  to  be 
taken  literally,  "but  imagine  Sister  Frances  trying  to 
use  such  weapons." 


258  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Oh  !  we  feeble  folk  have  a  surer  defence  than  bread- 
shovels,  Debby  dear,"  said  Miss  Frances,  laying  her 
hand  on  the  girl's  head. 

"  I  dare  say  they're  not  half  as  bad  as  they've  been 
reported,"  said  Miss  Mehitable.  "But  at  all  events 
we'll  have  to  make  the  best  of  it ;  for  according  to  Tom 
Davis's  account,  it  looks  as  if  they  were  meaning  to  stay 
indefinitely.  He  says  that  they  have  already  begun 
building  forts,  and  have  ordered  out  the  people  with 
their  ox-carts  to  cut  down  the  hedges  to  be  used  in 
filling  up  their  trenches.  But  they  are  not  likely  to  get 
the  town  cannon  ;  for  Ben  Huntting  and  two  or  three 
others  took  both  of  them  —  they  are  not  very  large,  you 
know  —  and  carried  them  up  into  the  belfry,  and  hung 
them  as  weights  to  the  town  clock.1  I  dare  say  they 
didn't  care  to  have  it  get  about;  but  Tom  couldn't  keep 
it  to  himself,  and  I  don't  wonder.  'Twas  something 
well  thought  of,  to  outwit  them  in  that  way  ;  but  there's 
no  telling  how  soon  they  will  take  possession  of  the 
church  itself,  as  they  did  in  Setauket  and  Iluntington, 
and  turn  it  into  a  garrison.  It  is  outrageous,  the  way 
they  are  going  on.  They've  no  more  respect  for  a  meet 
ing-house  than  they  have  for  a  pig-pen  ;  in  fact,  not  as 
much,  for  they  have  a  keen  palate  for  swine's  flesh. 
But,  dear  me  !  I  must  be  going.  I  started  out  to  see  if 
I  could  beg,  borrow,  or  steal  something  in  the  shape  of 
store  sweetening  for  Mother  Miller.  The  dear  old  saint 
has  neither  sugar  nor  molasses,  and  since  that  last  attack 
of  rheumatism  she  has  had  so  little  appetite  that  I  thought 

1  One  of  these  pieces  remained  in  the  belfry  until  1843. 


THE  ENEMY  AT  THE  DOOR.  259 

if  I  could  fix  up  something  sweet  maybe  it  might  tempt 
her." 

"Oh!  I'm  glad  you  spoke  of  it,"  responded  Miss 
Frances  heartily.  "  I've  a  whole  loaf  that  Mrs.  Howell 
sent  me  the  other  day  from  Southampton.  It  must  have 
cost  her  a  good  round  sum ;  but  she  says  that  whatever 
else  she  goes  without  she  must  have  sugar,  if  she  has 
to  pay  a  pound  a  pound." 

"  That  sounds  just  like  Joanna.  I  always  used  to  tell 
«her  that  she  had  a  '  sweet  tooth.'  Dear  me  !  What  will 
become  of  her?  Zebulon,  you  know,  has  finally  fled  to 
Connecticut  to  keep  from  taking  the  oath." 

"  But  her  boys  are  with  her  ?  " 

"Yes;  and  that  stately  way  of  hers  is  as  good  as  a 
bodyguard." 

While  they  were  talking  Deborah,  who  at  a  sign 
from  her  sister  had  left  the  room,  returned,  bringing 
a  pyramid  of  white  sugar  wrapped  in  heavy  purple 
paper. 

"Well,  well,  that  does  one's  eyes  good,"  cried  Miss 
Mehitable,  as  Deborah,  with  hammer  and  knife,  began 
breaking  off  the  glistening  lumps.  "I  haven't  seen  as 
much  sugar  as  that  all  told  since  the  war  began.  But 
Joanna  meant  that  for  your  own  use,  Frances,  and  I'm 
not  going  to  let  you  rob  yourself  of  anything  so  precious. 
Molasses  will  do  just  as  well." 

"There,  take  that,"  said  Miss  Frances,  as  Deborah 
filled  to  the  brim  a  shining  pewter  cup ;  "  and  when  it  is 
gone,  come  for  more." 

"Well,  you'll  have  your  reward,"  said  Miss  Hitty, 


260  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

standing  up  and  drawing  her  shawl  together.  "  Don't  for 
get,  girls,  to  begin  to  practise  with  your  bread-shovels." 
She  whisked  out  of  the  room  with  a  little  laugh  ;  but 
she  had  tilted  her  sunbonnet  over  her  eyes,  and  before 
she  reached  the  gate  she  was  brushing  off  the  tears. 


A    TEMPTING  PROPOSITION.  261 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

A    TEMPTING    PROPOSITION. 

IT  was  only  a  few  days  later  that  an  imposing  company 
of  redcoats  came  cantering  down  the  village  street. 
Presently  the  cavalcade  halted  in  front  of  the  parsonage, 
and  the  next  moment  those  whose  coign  of  vantage  came 
in  range  of  the  parsonage  door  saw  Priest  Buell  stand 
ing  on  the  threshold  courteously  greeting  the  command 
ing  officer.  The  latter  had  dismounted,  and  after  what 
seemed  to  be  a  formal  exchange  of  civilities,  the  two 
went  in. 

It  was  a  full  half-hour  before  they  reappeared,  the 
officer  wearing  an  ominous  frown,  and  Priest  Buell 
bowing  him  out  with  gracious  courtesy ;  and  by  the 
time  the  dust-cloud  in  the  wake  of  the  vanishing  horse 
men  had  found  its  level,  it  was  known  from  one  end  of 
the  village  to  the  other  that  the  leader  of  the  party  was 
General  Tryon,  and  that  the  object  of  his  visit  was  to 
lay  before  Priest  Buell  a  proposition  to  give  tea,  rum, 
and  sugar,  together  with  whatever  might  be  wanted  in 
the  way  of  dry  goods,  in  exchange  for  beef  and  farming 
produce. 

"  No  use  o'  their  undertakin'  to  try  on  any  such  game 
as  that  with  Priest  Buell,''  said  Silas  Post,  who,  seated  on 


262  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

the  Thurstons'  wood-pile,  was  discussing  the  subject  with 
Olin  and  Ben.  "The  parson's  sensible  enough  to  know 
't  when  a  mule  winks  at  you  with  his  left  eye,  you  kin 
always  look  out  for  his  heels." 

"  No,"  said  Ben,  decidedly,  as  he  gathered  up  an  arm 
ful  of  wood  ;  "  much  as  we'd  all  enjoy  having  some  of 
the  good  things  of  life  once  more,  we  don't  want  'em 
badly  enough  to  be  willing  to  take  'em  on  any  such 
terms." 

Silas  and  Olin  each  picked  up  an  armful  and  followed 
him  in. 

"That's  so,"  said  Silas.  "  Fact  is,  we  ain't  got  any 
more  beef  an'  farm  produce  'n  we  want  for  ourselves." 

"Well,  for  my  part,"  said  Prudence,  "I  consider  it 
too  good  an  opportunity  to  be  lost.  We  could  easily 
spare  a  portion  of  our  corn  and  cattle  for  the  sake  of 
having  something  fit  to  set  before  a  visitor,  and  be  able 
once  more  to  clothe  ourselves  like  Christians ;  and  I 
hope  Priest  Buell  will  have  sense  enough  to  make  the 
most  of  it." 

"  Oh  !  come,  Mis'  Golby,  you're  the  last  one  that 
ought  to  be  hankerin'  after  the  leeks  an'  onions  of  Egyp', 
so  to  speak,"  protested  Silas;  "anybody  't  kin  make 
things  as  appertizin'  as  you  kin  out  o'  jus'  flour  an' 
water.  Look  at  that  doughnut,  will  you?"  For  Pru 
dence,  who  had  been  filling  a  platter  with  puffy  brown 
balls  from  the  great  black  kettle  on  the  crane,  had  not 
neglected  to  treat  the  boys. 

"  Oh  !  they're  light  enough,  but  such  tasteless  things, 
without  sugar  or  currants,  or  even  a  pinch  of  spice. 


A  TEMPTING   PROPOSITION.  263 

When  we  can  get  hold  of  some  of  those  foreign  com 
modities  again,  I'll  show  you  doughnuts  that'll  make 
your  mouth  water." 

"  Home  flavoring's  good  enough  for  me,  mother," 
Ben  declared. 

"I'm  sartain  I  don't  ask  anything  better,"  responded 
Silas.  "  Besides,  if  we  once  begun  that  sort  o'  thing 
there's  no  tellin'  where  'twould  stop ;  an'  I  don't  like  the 
idear  o'  the  East  En'  settin'  such  a  bad  example." 

"  I  don'  know  as  it'll  make  any  difference,"  muttered 
Olin.  "  They're  boun'  to  git  what  they  want  some  way 
or  nuther." 

"  And  who  has  a  better  right,  if  they  take  it  by  the 
king's  order?"  asked  Prudence,  bridling.  "  And  that's 
why  I  say  that  so  fair  an  offer  ought  to  be  accepted  at 
once.  If  it's  refused  now,  it  isn't  likely  that  they'll 
condescend  to  repeat  it." 

Silas,  in  his  bantering  fashion,  kept  up  the  discussion 
until  Ben  started  out  for  another  armful  of  wood,  and 
went  away  flattering  himself  that  he  had  made  two  or 
three  very  good  points.  But  it  was  not  long  before 
Prudence  had  the  satisfaction  of  saying,  "I  told  you 
so  ;  "  for  the  enemy,  finding  that  cattle  and  produce  were 
not  to  be  had  for  the  asking,  did  not  hesitate  to  help 
themselves  to  what  they  wanted.  Some  of  their  troops 
were  stationed  at  Bridgehampton,  and  some  at  the  Har 
bor  ;  and  scarcely  a  day  passed  without  bringing  foraging 
parties  to  Easthampton.  Usually  their  depredations 
were  committed  by  the  order  of  inferior  officers,  and  the 
latter  were  sometimes  severely  reprimanded  by  their 


264  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

superiors ;  but  the  commander-in-chief  himself  had  no 
regard  for  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  the  people, 
and  did  not  scruple  to  seize  cattle,  hay,  and  grain,  and 
to  impress  for  labor  horses  and  oxen,  and,  not  infre 
quently,  the  owners.  Payment,  it  is  true,  was  gene 
rally  made  for  these  requisitions,  but  there  was  not  gold 
enough  in  the  whole  British  army  to  compensate  for  the 
indignities  that  these  long-suffering  patriots  were  forced 
to  endure.  None  could  tell  on  rising  in  the  morning 
what  new  exactions  the  day  might  bring  ;  and  the  night 
was  still  more  dreaded,  for  soldiers  in  small  squads 
were  continually  prowling  about  the  neighborhood,  ready 
for  any  dark  deed  that  might  suggest  itself,  and  making 
it  necessary  for  every  household  to  have  some  one  on 
guard. 

"  Had  a  great  time  over  at  Georgica  last  night  at 
Cap'n  Dayton's,"  cried  Ben  one  winter  afternoon,  rush 
ing  into  the  keeping-room  where  Margaret  sat  spinning. 
"The  cap'n  was  waked  up  'long  the  middle  of  the  night 
by  a  lot  of  redcoats  trying  to  break  into  the  house. 
There  was  no  one  with  him  but  little  Joe  ;  and  routing 
him  out  of  bed,  he  sent  him  off  through  the  snow,  the 
back  way,  just  as  he  was,  with  nothing  on  but  his  night 
shirt,  and  told  him  to  run  to  Jericho  and  give  the  alarm. 
Then,  seizing  his  gun  and  getting  behind  the  loom,  the 
cap'n  shouted  to  the  men  that  he'd  shoot  the  first  one 
that  tried  to  enter.  At  that,  as  if  to  dare  him,  they  fired 
through  the  window,  and  two  or  three  shots  lodged  in 
the  post  of  the  loom.  All  this  time  he  kept  calling  out 
to  Tom,  Dick,  and  Harry,  as  if  he  had  a  houseful  back 


A    TEMPTING  PROPOSITION.  26$ 

of  him ;  and  when  at  last  the  wretches  succeeded  in 
bursting  in  the  door,  he  let  fire.  He  says  he'd  hardly 
hoped  to  scare  'em  off,  but  they  took  to  their  heels  in  a 
hurry.  Whether  he'd  killed  anybody  or  not  he  couldn't 
tell,  but  they  left  marks  of  blood  behind  'em  in  the 
sand ;  and  this  morning,  while  he  was  at  work  in  the 
cowyard,  old  Cochrane  dashed  in  on  horseback,  and 
brandishing  his  cutlass,  threatened  to  make  an  end  of 
him  on  the  spot  for  killing  one  of  his  men  ;  but  the 
ctip'n  snatched  up  a  pitchfork,  and  used  it  to  such  good 
purpose  that  the  major  was  glad  to  put  spurs  to  his 
horse." 

Before  Margaret  had  time  to  make  any  comment, 
Silas  Post  and  Olin  Dole  came  in. 

"  Hear  'bout  their  goin'  to  Lem'el  Pierson's?"  asked 
Silas.  "There  wasn't  any  one  there  but  Mis'  Pierson 
an'  the  young  ones  ;  but  she  met  'em  with  a  kettle  of  hot 
water,  an'  tol'  'em  she'd  scald  the  first  man  that  tried  to 
git  in.  Tell  you  what,  she's  got  good  grit." 

"  Cap'n  Woolley  says  Major  Cochrane's  makin'  it  hot 
for  the  folks  in  Bridgehampton  an'  the  Harbor,"  added 
Olin.  "  Ol'  Tryon's  bad  enough,  but  that  Cochrane's  a 
reg'lar  savage.  Why,  t'other  day  he  got  miffed  at  Bill 
Russell  'bout  somethin'  or  other,  an'  had  him  tied  up 
an'  whipped  till  the  blood  run  down  to  his  boots.  They 
say  't  sometimes  he  helps  lay  on  the  gad  himself." 

"  No  wonder  the  men  are  such  brutes,  when  they  have 
officers  like  him,"  said  Silas.  "  Why,  Jonathan  Hedges 
says  that  one  day  at  Sagg,  the  major  took  young  Joe 
Brown  an'  tied  him  up  for  a  mark  to  shoot  at ;  an'  when 


266  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

his  mother  sent  black  Pete  to  beg  him  to  let  the  boy  go, 
the  wretch  took  Pete  an'  set  him  up,  an'  begun  shootin' 
at  him" 

"Oh!  please  don't  tell  us  anything  more,"  entreated 
Margaret,  with  set  lips  and  a  white  face. 

But  even  harder  to  endure  than  the  harsh  treatment 
of  the  enemy  were  the  persecutions  to  which  they  were 
subjected  by  predatory  bands  of  Tories.  Some  of  the 
latter  had  attached  themselves  to  the  British  army,  while 
others  had  their  headquarters  in  Connecticut,  and  made  a 
practice  of  crossing  to  the  East  End  whenever  it  suited 
their  pleasure. 

"They  seem  to  be  carrying  on  their  nefarious  business 
all  over  the  country,"  remarked  Squire  Osborn  to  Cap 
tain  Mulford.  "  I  was  in  Southampton  yesterday;  and 
Priest  White  read  me  a  letter  that  he  had  just  received 
from  his  son  Dr.  Ebenezer,  who  is  living  at  Yorktown, 
in  Westchester  County,  and  it  seems  that  patriots  are 
faring  no  better  there  than  here.  The  doctor  is  an  out- 
and-out  Whig,  and  the  Tories  and  the  British  together 
have  subjected  him  to  all  manner  of  persecutions.  On 
several  occasions  they  have  surrounded  his  house  in  the 
hope  of  capturing  him,  and  though  he  has  managed  to 
keep  out  of  their  clutches,  Priest  White  feels  anxious 
about  him  ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  with  one 
son  already  a  prisoner." 

The  two  men  had  chanced  to  meet  in  front  of  the 
Thurstons'.  Margaret  was  helping  Hagar  hang  out 
the  washing,  and  she  caught  now  and  then  a  fragment 
of  a  sentence  from  the  other  side  of  the  hedge.  But 


A    TEMPTING  PROPOSITION.  267 

Rick  was  following  her  about  from  bush  to  bush,  and 
keeping  up  such  a  chattering  that  at  first  she  paid  no 
attention  to  the  conversation. 

"It  is  true,  then,  that  Henry  has  been  captured?" 
said  Captain  Mulford. 

"Ay;  and  word  has  just  come  that  several  others  of 
our  men  are  in  the  hands  of  the  British."  And  now 
Margaret  started  forward  and  listened  breathlessly. 

"They  were  on  an  American  privateer,"  the  Squire 
continued ;  "  and  Captain  Baker  reports  that  the  vessel 
was  taken  with  nearly  all  on  board." 

"And  who  of  our  men  were  among  them?"  asked 
Mulford. 

The  Squire  lowrered  his  voice.  But  the  young  ears 
were  quick  to  hear,  and  a  moment  later  the  girl  was  at 
the  gate  trying  to  frame  a  question. 

Her  grandfather  was  standing  on  the  porch  ;  and  see 
ing  that  something  was  wrong,  he  hurried  down  the  path. 
But  before  he  could  reach  her,  Margaret,  for  the  first 
time  in  her  life,  had  fainted  ;  for  two  of  the  men  named 
were  Aaron  Neale  and  Lodowick  Brewster. 


268  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

A    RUTHLESS    SWORD    THRUST. 

,  go  with  me  to  Nathaniel  Dominy's,  little 
one,"  said  the  old  Quaker,  on  a  breezy  morning, 
a  fortnight  later.  "I  want  to  see  what  progress  he  is 
making  with  the  new  clock." 

She  had  been  rather  closely  housed  of  late,  and  this, 
together  with  her  fresh  burden  of  anxiety  concerning 
her  father  and  Lodowick,  had  so  robbed  her  of  her  color 
that  he  was  beginning  to  be  troubled  about  her ;  but  her 
eyes  brightened  at  the  prospect  of  a  walk,  and  pushing 
back  her  wheel,  she  made  haste  to  put  on  her  hood  and 
cloak.  The  hood  was  turned  back  from  her  forehead ; 
and  the  young  face,  framed  in  the  soft  blue  lining,  was 
startling  in  its  loveliness. 

"  'T would  be  well  to  wear  a  veil,"  said  her  grand 
father. 

"  Oh  !  I  don't  mind  a  little  buffeting,  grandpa,"  she 
answered,  with  no  suspicion  that  it  was  from  something 
besides  the  lawless  wind  that  he  wanted  to  shield  her. 
But  she  obediently  brought  a  thick  green  veil,  and  tied 
it  over  her  hood. 

They  found  the  clockmaker  at  work  on  the  dial. 

"  I'm  doing  my  best,  Friend  Thurston,"  he  said,  turn- 


A  RUTHLESS  SWORD    THRUST.  269 

ing  the  clock  around  for  his  visitors  to  inspect  it;  "  but 
I'm  beginning  to  think  it  won't  be  done  while  the  war 
lasts,  for  I'm  out  of  weights  and  hands." 

The  case  was  made  of  mahogany  that  Aaron  Neale 
had  brought  from  Honduras  in  his  own  ship,  and  it  had 
been  polished  till  it  shone  like  satin. 

"  It  is  wonderful  wood,"  said  Margaret. 

"Ay,"  answered  Dominy ;  "and  there's  getting  to 
be  such  a  rage  for  it  that  one  might  easily  make  a  for 
tune  out  of  it  if  this  fight  were  ended.  There's  no  pros 
pect,  though,  of  its  ending  very  soon  ;  and  with  a  man 
like  Tryon  in  command  you  never  know  what  is  coming 
next.  The  latest  news  from  Southampton  is  that  he's 
going  to  turn  the  church  into  a  stable." 

"  Hadst  thou  that  on  good  authority,  Friend  Dom 
iny?"  asked  the  Quaker.  "  It  is  hard  to  believe  that  a 
man  can  have  so  little  reverence  for  the  Lord's  house." 

"It  is  scant  reverence  Tryon  has  for  anything  but 
himself,"  said  Dominy.  "  lie's  the  sort  of  man  that 
thinks  he  made  the  world,  and  the  Lord  just  stood  and 
looked  on.  And  most  of  those  under  him  are  off  the 
same  piece." 

"  It  is  a  grievous  thing,"  said  the  old  Quaker,  turning 
to  go,  "that  such  tyrants  are  put  in  authority  over  a 
defenceless  people." 

"Oh  that  England  knew  the  shameful  deeds  that 
these  men  are  guilty  of!  "  cried  the  girl,  as  they  came 
out. 

Her  grandfather  made  no  answer.  He  was  walking 
with  his  head  bent,  deep  in  thought.  But  when,  a  few 


2/0  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

minutes  later,  a  party  of  redcoats  came  riding  toward 
them,  he  hastily  drew  her  hand  to  his  arm,  and  called 
her  attention  to  a  squirrel  that  was  running  across  the 
graveyard.  But  at  the  same  moment  a  wanton  gust 
blew  back  her  veil. 

"Hold,  old  broad-brim!"  shouted  the  leader.  "If 
you  haven't  reverence  enough  for  the  king's  officers  to 
make  your  bow,  take  that !  "  And  leaning  from  the 
saddle,  he  struck  off  the  Quaker  hat  with  his  sword. 

The  old  man  stood  silent,  with  his  white  locks  tossing 
in  the  wind.  But  Margaret  faced  about,  with  her  eyes 
ablaze. 

"  Brute  !  "  she  ejaculated  ;  and  while  the  man,  cowed 
by  that  indignant  flash,  was  trying  to  resettle  himself  in 
the  saddle,  she  turned  to  pick  up  the  hat.  But  before 
she  could  overtake  it,  the  wind  having  carried  it  a  little 
beyond  her,  one  of  the  younger  officers,  springing  down, 
had  seized  it  by  the  brim,  and  restored  it  to  the  old  man, 
with  his  own  head  uncovered. 

The  whole  occurrence  had  occupied  scarcely  three 
minutes,  but  it  was  hours  before  Margaret  could  quiet 
herself. 

"Oh,  the  shamefulness  of  it!"  she  cried,  hovering 
protectingly  over  her  grandfather,  when  he  was  once 
more  seated  in  his  armchair.  "If  it  had  been  Ben  or 
Burt  it  would  have  been  different ;  but  to  put  such  an 
indignity  on  you  !  O  grandpa  !  grandpa  !  How  can  we 
help  hating  such  an  enemy  —  one  who  could  treat  so 
brutally  your  dear  white  head?"  And  then  she  drew 
the  head  to  the  hollow  of  her  shoulder,  and  smoothed  the 


A  RUTHLESS  SWORD    THRUST.  2?  I 

snowy  locks  with  hands  that  were  still  trembling,  and, 
between  her  sobs,  rained  kisses  on  the  placid  forehead. 

"  Nay,  nay,  child,  we  can  better  afford  to  pity  him. 
There  is  a  day  of  reckoning  coming  for  all  such.  I 
would,  though,  that  he  had  used  a  little  more  care  in  his 
sword  thrust."  And  the  old  man  took  up  his  hat,  and 
inspected  ruefully  a  long  slash  in  the  crown.  "  But  it's 
a  clean  cut;  we'll  thank  him  for  that." 

"Thank  him!"  cried  Margaret,  examining  the  rent 
with  wide-eyed  horror.  "  Grandpa!  Think  if  he  had 
struck  it  a  half-inch  lower  !  "  And  again  the  white  head 
was  enfolded  in  the  motherly  young  arms. 

A  few  minutes  later  Ben  coming  in  reported  that  Ma 
jor  Cochrane  had  been  riding  through  the  village  with 
some  of  the  young  officers  from  Southampton  ;  and  when 
Margaret  described  the  ruffian  who  had  so  insulted  her 
grandfather,  he  cried  out  hotly,  — 

"  Why,  'twas  Cochrane  himself,  the  wretch  !  Tell  you 
what,  Meg,  such  things  make  a  fellow's  blood  boil." 

"  And  to  think,  Ben,"  she  went  on,  when  his  temper 
had  somewhat  cooled,  "that  not  content  with  turning 
private  houses  into  barracks,  General  Tryon,  it  is  said, 
is  intending  to  take  the  Southampton  church  for  a  sta 
ble.  Dear  old  Priest  White  !  lie  has  preached  from 
that  pulpit  for  over  fifty  years,  and  it  will  break  his 
heart  to  see  the  place  so  desecrated."  And  then  the 
overwrought  nerves  gave  way ;  and  with  her  face  in 
her  hands,  she  sobbed  aloud. 


2/2  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

A    BRAVE    SHEPHERDESS. 

TAPPILY,  before  General  Tryon's  godless  project 
JLJL  concerning  the  church  could  be  carried  out,  Sir 
William  Erskine  was  put  in  command  of  the  troops  at 
Southampton ;  and  being  a  man  that  feared  the  Lord, 
and  respected  the  rights  of  his  fellowmen,  he  straight 
way  cancelled  his  predecessor's  orders. 

But  the  people  were  still  largely  at  the  mercy  of  the 
soldiers,  and  as  the  winter  wore  on  a  new  danger  began 
to  threaten  them ;  for  the  demands  of  the  enemy  for  for 
age  were  so  frequent  and  so  heavy  that  they  were  obliged 
to  put  their  own  stock,  the  little  that  they  could  call  their 
own,  on  short  allowances. 

"If  it  should  be  as  hard  a  winter  as  we  sometimes 
have,"  said  Captain  Mulford,  "the  poor  beasts  will  be 
in  danger  of  starving  before  spring." 

"  Like  as  not  it  will  be,"  answered  Olin  Dole.  "  The 
smelts  in  them  hogs  they  butchered  at  Hunttin's'  last 
week  looked  a  good  'eal  that  wray,  an'  I  never  see  the 
squirrels  layin'  in  more  nuts  'n  they  did  this  fall.  The 
corn  husks,  too,  if  you  remember,  was  laid  on  thicker  'n 
hair  on  a  coon ;  an'  I've  heard  Uncle  Joe  King  over  to 
Southold  say  t'was  jus'  the  same  in  1740,  an'  that  winter 


A  BRAVE  SHEPHERDESS.  2/3 

'twas  so  cold  that  it  was  all  froze  over  between  Gardi 
ner's  Island  and  Fireplace,  so  't  they  drove  a  lot  of  cattle 
across  on  the  ice." 

"Yes,  I  remember  that  winter,"  said  the  captain, 
"God  grant  we  may  never  have  another  like  it." 

"Well,  if  the  signs  amount  to  anything,  it's  goin'  to 
be  a  tough  one,"  persisted  Olin.  And  so  accustomed 
had  the  people  become  to  foreboding  evil  that  no  one 
had  the  courage  to  pit  a  hopeful  word  against  this  dreary 
forecast. 

4 

But  for  once  the  squirrels  proved  over-provident,  and 
even  in  the  divination  concerning  the  hogs'  smelts  the 
oracle  was  at  fault ;  for  though  the  earlier  part  of  the 
winter  brought  weather  that  culminated  a  few  days  be 
fore  Christmas  in  one  of  the  severest  snowstorms  ever 
known  at  the  East  End,  by  the  first  week  in  February 
the  frost  was  out  of  the  ground,  and  the  grass  came  on 
so  rapidly  that  the  cattle  —  the  few  that  were  left — 
were  soon  turned  out  to  graze. 

But  while  this  kindly  providence  was  the  salvation  of 
the  stock,  it  involved  incessant  watchfulness  ;  and  from 
the  time  the  animals  were  driven  to  pasture  in  the  morn 
ing  till  they  came  lowing  home  at  nightfall,  some  one 
had  to  stand  guard.  Usually  this  task  fell  to  the  boys  ; 
and  Ben  —  though  Snowball  was  the  only  one  that  re 
mained  of  the  Thurstons'  herds,  and  their  sheep  were  at 
pasture  on  the  Osgood  farm  —  never  shirked  his  turn ; 
but  sometimes  it  chanced  that  he  was  needed  elsewhere, 
and  his  grandfather  would  volunteer  to  take  his  place. 

"It  is  a  cruel  shame,  grandpa,  for  one  like  you  to 


2/4  A^  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

have  to  do  such  work,"  protested  Margaret,  as  she 
tucked  in  his  muffler  one  windy  afternoon. 

"Tut!  tut!"  said  the  old  man,  giving  her  a  kiss. 
"  Better  men  than  thy  grandfather,  little  one,  have  been 
cattle-tenders.  There  was  Cgedmon,  remember,  who, 
with  his  flocks  browsing  about  him,  dreamed  out  a  song 
whose  echo  was  an  inspiration  to  blind  Milton.  And 
hast  thou  forgotten  him  who  while  tending  his  sheep 
first  learned  to  sing,  'The  Lord  is  my  shepherd'?" 

"But  David  and  Casdmon  were  not  old  and  gray- 
headed,"  said  the  girl  to  herself,  as  she  saw  him  give  a 
little  shiver  on  facing  the  wind.  And  then,  seized  with 
the  fear  that  some  evil  might  befall  him,  she  snatched 
from  behind  the  entry  door  the  old  army  cloak,  and 
pulled  on  a  pair  of  Ben's  cowhide  boots. 

"  Grandaddy,  I'm  afraid,  would  think  it  a  very  un- 
maidenly  thing  to  do,"  she  whispered  to  the  strange- 
looking  creature  that  she  saw  reflected  in  the  little 
mirror  that  in  its  narrow  black  frame  hung,  slanting  for 
ward,  over  the  keeping-room  mantel-piece.  But  when 
she  had  massed  her  curls  on  the  top  of  her  head,  and 
crowded  over  them  one  of  Ben's  old  slouch-brimmed 
hats,  the  effect  was  so  comical  that  she  laughed  out 
right,  and  for  the  moment  half  forgot  her  burdens. 

It  was  baking-day,  and  Prudence  and  Magar  were  in 
the  kitchen  ;  even  little  Rick  was  nowhere  to  be  seen, 
and  she  slipped  out  unnoticed.  The  street  was  as  silent 
as  a  church  aisle  at  midnight  —  it  was  seldom  otherwise 
than  silent  nowadays,  except  when  the  soldiers  were  on 
their  raids  —  and  drawing  the  cloak  collar  up  to  her 


A   BRAVE  SHEPHERDESS.  2?$ 

ears  she  walked  off  boldly,  swinging  a  stout  stick  that 
she  had  picked  up  at  the  woodpile. 

But  when  she  had  gone  a  few  rods  she  left  the  road, 
and  letting  down  a  pair  of  bars,  hurried  "cross  lots" 
at  as  fast  a  gait  as  Ben's  roomy  boots  would  permit ;  and 
though  they  seemed  like  clogs,  growing  heavier  at  every 
step,  she  succeeded  in  reaching  the  pasture  ahead  of  her 
grandfather. 

Tom  Davis  had  been  on  duty ;  and  seeing  from  the 
Other  side  of  the  enclosure  that  some  one  had  come  to 
relieve  him,  he  rushed  away  without  stopping  to  waste 
words. 

Presently  the  old  man  came  within  speaking  distance. 

"What,  Ben!  here,  after  all?"  he  called,  on  catch 
ing  sight  of  Margaret.  The  girl,  without  answering, 
made  haste  to  widen  the  space  between  them.  Ben  so 
often  wore  the  cloak  and  hat  that  she  knew  that  if  she 
could  keep  at  a  reasonable  distance  there  was  no  danger 
of  her  being  recognized. 

Though  the  air  still  held  a  reminiscence  of  winter, 
the  privet  was  beginning  to  take  on  a  fresher  tint,  and 
the  willows  along  the  edge  of  the  pond  already  wore 
a  delicate  gold-green  flush  ;  gray  gulls  hovering  above 
the  sand-dunes  called  shrilly  to  their  mates,  and  now  and 
then  a  bluebird  lilting  down  would  balance  himself  on 
some  slender  spray,  and  pour  forth  his  caressing  notes. 
All  nature  seemed  to  be  prophesying  new  life  and  new 
joy  ;  and  in  spite  of  the  ever-present  anxiety,  the  young 
heart  was  quick  to  respond.  The  war  could  not  last 
forever.  Peace  was  surely  on  its  way  ;  and  pacing  back 


276  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

and  forth,  she  lost  herself  in  a  dream  of  the  day  when 
war  should  be  no  more. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  pasture  her  grandfather  was 
keeping  up  a  brisk  walk  to  guard  against  the  cold. 

"  I'm  glad  he  thinks  I'm  Ben,"  she  said,  coming  back 
to  a  consciousness  of  her  surroundings. 

But  Snowball  knew  her  in  spite  of  her  disguise,  and 
halting  now  and  again  to  crop  a  mouthful  of  grass,  came 
lowing  to  meet  her.  And  when  her  mistress  had  patted 
the  great  white  head,  and  called  her  a  beauty  and  a  dar 
ling,  she  doubled  her  knees  under  her  with  a  sigh  of 
content,  and  began  to  chew  her  cud  —  or  was  it  a  sigh 
of  regret,  Margaret  wondered,  for  the  lost  delights  of 
Montauk?  Beautiful  Montauk  !  beautiful,  but  desolate, 
like  a  mother  bereft  of  her  children,  with  the  happy  herds 
and  flocks  no  longer  feeding  by  the  still  waters,  or  wan 
dering  at  will  over  the  quiet  meadows  and  bree/y  up 
lands.  How  long  ago  seemed  that  fair  June  day  that 
she  had  spent  there  with  Betty  and  Lodowick  !  O  Lodo- 
wick  I  Lodowick  ! 

Then  her  truant  thoughts  returned  to  her  grandfather. 
There  was  no  need  of  his  staying.  She  was  not  in  the 
least  afraid  of  the  cattle,  for  there  were  no  vicious  ones 
amc::g  them ;  and  as  for  the  enemy,  she  would  far 
rather  take  the  risk  of  their  coming  than  have  him  risk 

O 

taking  cold. 

"You'd  better  go  back,  grandpa  !  "  she  shouted,  mak 
ing  her  voice  as  much  like  Ben's  as  possible. 

And  the  old  man,  beginning  to  feel  chilled,  started  for 
the  bars  without  a  question. 


A   BRAVE  SHEPHERDESS. 

"I'm  afraid  he  will  think  I  have  'erred  from  the 
truth'  when  he  iinds  out  that  I  am  not  Ben,"  she  said,  as 
he  vanished  over  the  hill.  And,  with  a  new  sense  of 
responsibility,  she -began  her  watch  again. 

For  an  hour  or  two  everything  went  monotonously 
well.  The  cattle  were  all  within  sight,  some  still  brows 
ing,  while  others,  following  Snowball's  example,  had 
gone  to  ruminating.  A  wind  from  the  sea  was  blowing 
across  the  meadow,  bending  all  the  tree-tops  landward, 
the  bluebird  had  ended  his  song,  and  the  air  was  taking 
on  a  keener  edge. 

The  girl  drew  her  cloak  closer,  and  quickened  her 
walk.  She  was  glad  that  the  afternoon  was  almost  over, 
but  simply  because  it  was  so  tiresome  ;  there  was  noth 
ing  that  a  child  need  be  afraid  of.  But  suddenly  she 
was  startled  with  the  sound  of  fast-ridden  horses.  A 
clump  of  young  oaks  that  had  not  yet  shed  the  last 
year's  leaves  was  close  at  hand,  and  she  had  scarcely 
time  to  slip  behind  it  when  two  men  galloped  up  to  the 
hedge. 

"  'Pon  my  word,"  cried  one,  with  an  oath  for  empha 
sis,  "  a  fine  sight  this  for  'ungry  Britons  !  " 

"Ay,  we're  in  luck,"  answered  his  comrade.  "  We'll 
spot  a  few  of  the  best,  an'  keep  an  eye  out  to  see  where 
they're  stabled  for  the  night." 

"  But  a  bird  in  the  'and's  worth  two  in  the  bush. 
What  'inders  our  'elpin'  ourselves  without  makin'  more 
ado?" 

This  suggestion  was  promptly  agreed  to  ;  but  before 
either  of  them  could  dismount,  the  young  herder  pushed 


2/8  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

out  from  her  covert  far  enough  to  let  her  hat  be  seen, 
and  raising  her  stick  to  her  shoulder,  took  a  rifleman's 
aim. 

"  Hold  !  "  she  cried.  "Whoever  touches  one  of  this 
herd  does  it  at  his  peril."  It  was  a  resolute  voice  that 
challenged  them,  and  in  their  amazement  they  took  no 
note  of  its  quality.  More  than  one  rebel  might  be  hid 
den  behind  those  bushy  oaks  ;  and  with  a  discretion  for 
which  Margaret  gave  devout  thanks,  they  wheeled  about, 
and  dashed  off  in  the  direction  of  Fireplace. 

This  speedy  victory  was  so  unexpected  that  in  the 
reaction  from  the  height  to  which  she  had  nerved  her 
self  she  felt  for  a  moment  faint  and  dazed  ;  but  her  keen 
sense  of  the  ludicrous  soon  got  the  better  of  this  weak 
ness,  and  she  laughed  till  the  tears  came. 

"Oh,  the  brave  Britons!"  she  scoffed;  "armed  to 
the  teeth,  and  frightened  by  a  girl !  It  is  too  good  to 
keep  to  myself.  I  shall  have  to  tell  grandpa ;  and  I  am 
quite  sure  he  will  enjoy  it,  it  is  so  long  since  he  has  had 
anything  to  laugh  over.  And  he  does  so  enjoy  a  laugh, 
the  dear  old  grandad  !  " 

By  the  time  she  had  sobered  herself  she  heard  Patsy 
Lumley  calling  to  her  little  red  cow,  "  Posy  !  come, 
Posy!"  And  soon  others  were  shouting,  "Spot,"  and 
"  Whiteface,"  and  "  Brindle  ;  "  and  most  of  them  had 
started  homeward  before  she  remembered  to  warn 
them. 

"  There  are  redcoats  in  the  neighborhood,"  she  called, 
"and  they  are  threatening  to  steal  the  sheep  and  cattle; 
so  make  sure  that  your  stable-doors  are  well  fastened," 


A  BRAVE  SHEPHERDESS.  279 

"Eh,  Miss  Marg'et?"  cried  Patsy.  "I  thought  for 
sartain  'twas  Ben." 

"  Run  along,  Patsy,  and  carry  the  word,"  said  Mar 
garet,  dropping  behind  Snowball. 

But  Patsy,  having  delegated  Sally  Jessup  to  tell  the 
others,  kept  beside  Margaret ;  and  the  two  were  walk 
ing  hand  in  hand,  with  Snowball  and  Posy  ambling  on 
before,  when  they  met  Ben. 

"Hi,  Meg,  that  you?"  he  cried.  "Grandpa  thought 
fee  left  me  tending  the  cattle,  and  I  don't  wonder.  I'd 
almost  mistake  you  myself." 

Meg  laughed.  She  was  longing  to  tell  him  her  ad 
venture,  but  Patsy  had  large  ears,  and  she  had  no  wish 
to  have  the  exploit  get  abroad  ;  so  she  contented  herself 
with  informing  him  of  the  rumor  that  cattle  thieves  were 
in  the  neighborhood. 

But  she  told  her  grandfather. 

"Thou  wilt  not  get  another  chance  to  cheat  thy 
grandsire  in  that  way,  little  one,"  he  said.  "A  brave 
sight  it  must  have  been.  I  would  I  had  been  there." 
But  he  broke  off  in  the  midst  of  his  laugh.  "Ah,  but 
if  they  had  harmed  one  hair  of  thy  head,  child  !  "  he 
cried,  putting  his  arm  about  her. 

"  Oh,  they  had  no  eyes  for  anything  but  the  cattle," 
she  said  lightly,  giving  him  a  good-night  kiss. 

As  she  was  crossing  the  entry  the  door  opened  noise 
lessly,  and  Miss  Mehitable  Hand  stepped  in.  Patsy,  she 
said,  had  been  telling  her  of  the  danger  that  threatened 
the  cattle,  and  she  had  run  over  to  propose  keeping 
watch. 


280  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"Oh!  if  you  think  that  necessary,"  said  Margaret, 
"  Ben  and  Timothy  can  sit  up." 

"No,  no;  don't  disturb  the  men-folks,"  protested 
Mehitable.  "They  mind  losing  their  sleep  a  good  deal 
more  than  we  women  do.  Besides,  they'll  think  us  such 
cowards.  My  idea  is  that  a  candle  or  two  kept  burning 
might  help  to  scare  off  the  marauders ;  and  if  you'll 
watch  the  first  half  of  the  night,  I'll  watch  the  second. 
When  you  see  my  candle  in  the  window  you  can  know 
that  I'm  up  and  ready  to  give  the  alarm." 

"Do  you  mean  to  fire  a  gun?"  asked  Margaret, 
amused  at  the  absurdity  of  two  lone  women  Irving  to 
protect  the  village. 

"No;  I  shall  ring  the  big  dinner-bell,  and  shout  fire 
at  the  pitch  of  my  voice."  And  with  her  bubbling  little 
laugh  she  slipped  out  as  noiselessly  as  she  had  entered. 

Margaret  fastened  the  door,  and  went  into  the  kitchen. 
It  was  early,  but  Prudence  had  already  covered  the  lire 
and  gone  to  bed.  Ben,  too,  had  vanished.  She  hov 
ered  a  moment  over  the  hearth,  for  the  night  was  chilly, 
and  then,  wrapping  herself  in  the  old  army  cloak,  sat 
down  by  the  window.  But  her  thoughts  were  a-wing. 
Where  were  her  father  and  Lodowick?  Were  they  still 
languishing  in  prison  ?  Or  had  they  escaped  that  hor 
ror  only  to  fall  in  battle?  Oh,  to  know  !  to  know  ! 

The  night  wore  on  without  bringing  any  alarm.  It 
was  almost  time  to  look  for  Mehitable's  light.  Suddenly 
she  heard  voices  and  the  tramp  of  heavy  feet.  The 
next  instant  she  had  blown  out  the  candle  —  she  had  a 
feeling  that  it  might  prove  more  of  an  attraction  than 


A   BRAVE  SHEPHERDESS.  28 1 

a  safeguard  —  and  with  her  white  face  pressed  to  the 
window,  stood  staring  into  the  street.  The  moon  was 
beating  off  a  squadron  of  clouds,  and  with  its  friendly 
help  she  discerned  a  body  of  soldiers  marching  past. 
They  kept  well  to  the  middle  of  the  road,  and  showed  no 
intention  of  turning.  They  were  not  coming  there,  at 
all  events  ;  and  her  heart  began  to  beat  less  nervously. 
But  there  was  no  telling  on  what  mischievous  errand 
they  were  bent.  The  people  ought  to  be  roused.  She 
thought  of  the  dinner-bell ;  but  to  wake  them  up  with 
that  she  would  have  to  ring  it  at  every  house.  If  she 
could  only  reach  the  church,  with  one  peal  from  the 
belfry  she  could  rouse  the  entire  village.  She  drew 
the  cloak  over  her  head,  and  unbolted  the  door  with 
wary  hand.  The  men  were  marching  toward  the  lower 
end  of  the  village  ;  and  while  she  hesitated,  they  van 
ished  behind  the  windmill.  And  now  she  went  flying 
down  the  street.  The  moon  was  no  longer  shining  ;  the 
clouds  for  the  moment  had  gained  the  mastery,  and  for 
that  she  was  thankful.  The  church  was  no  doubt 
locked ;  but  she  knew  where  a  key  was  always  to  be 
found  in  case  any  one  needed  to  give  an  alarm,  and  at 
last  she  was  inside  the  door.  She  groped  her  way  to 
the  belfry;  and  now  she  had  climbed  the  narrow  stairs, 
and  was  tugging  at  the  rope.  One  warning  peal  and 
the  whole  village  would  be  awake  !  She  bent  all  her 
strength  to  the  task ;  but  the  ponderous  bell  was  not 
easily  moved,  and  before  the  iron  tongue  responded, 
a  man's  hands  roughly  grasped  her  wrists. 


282  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

IN    HIDING. 

A  /f  ARGARET,  in  her  sudden  fright,  came  very  near 
IV  J.  screaming. 

"  Sh — sh  !  "  cautioned  her  captor.  "Don't  you 
know  me,  Meg?" 

"  Ben  !     But  why  do  you  stop  me?  "  she  cried. 

"Why?  Because  that's  the  very  way  to  bring  them 
back.  They  took  the  Nor'west  road,  and  are  half  a 
mile  away  by  this  time  ;  but  with  one  clang  of  the  bell 
they'd  face  about  quicker'n  lightning." 

"  But  how  did  you  know  I  was  here  ?" 

"  Oh  !  that's  easily  explained,"  said  Ben,  who,  having 
taken  possession  of  the  rope,  was  letting  the  bell  fall  so 
gradually  into  place  that  it  made  no  sound.  "I  hap 
pened  to  hear  you  and  Miss  Hermitable  discussing  the 
case,  and  I  thought  I'd  better  sit  up  too ;  and  when  I 
saw  you  scudding  across  the  street,  I  started  after  you 
to  see  what  you  were  going  to  do." 

"  But,  Ben,  the  people  ought  to  be  warned  in  some 
way,"  she  insisted. 

"What  for?  If  the  men  had  meant  to  do  any  harm 
here  they  wouldn't  have  marched  straight  through  ;  and 
I  don't  see  any  use  in  waking  everybody  up  just  to  tell 


IN  HIDING.  283 

'em  that  half  a  dozen  soldiers  have  gone  over  to  Nor'- 
west." 

Margaret  was  not  altogether  convinced,  but  she  fol 
lowed  him  down  in  silence. 

"There  isn't  hide  nor  hair  to  be  seen  of  'em,"  he 
said,  scanning  the  dusky  street  in  both  directions  as 
they  came  out. 

But  Margaret,  now  that  the  danger  was  past,  had  no 
courage  left. 

*  "  Oh,  make  haste!"  she  cried.  "You  don't  know 
how  soon  they  may  be  back ;  "  and  Ben  found  it  a  hard 
matter  to  keep  up  with  her. 

The  clock  was  striking  twelve  when  they  reached  the 
house,  and  on  the  last  stroke  a  light  flashed  from  Miss 
Mehitable's  window. 

"/';;/  going  to  bed,"  said  Ben.  "  I've  lost  sleep 
enough  for  one  night."  And  Margaret,  spent  with  the 
day's  unaccustomed  tasks,  decided  to  do  the  same ;  but 
not  till  she  had  relighted  her  candle,  to  let  Mehitable 
know  that  she  had  seen  hers.  She  drew  aside  the  cur 
tain  first  for  a  look  outside  ;  but  in  her  absence  the  shut 
ter  had  swung  to,  and  she  had  to  open  the  window  to 
throw  it  back.  As  she  leaned  out,  a  man  leaped  over  the 
hedge,  and  before  she  could  close  the  sash  he  had  his 
hand  on  the  sill. 

"Quick,  let  me  in!"  he  cried  in  a  muffled  voice. 
"  The  redcoats  are  on  my  track." 

At  that  Ben,  who  had  waited  to  make  sure  that  Mar 
garet  was  not  going  to  sit  up  any  longer,  unceremoni 
ously  pulled  her  away  and  took  her  place. 


284  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Uncle  John  !  "  gasped  the  girl. 

"Hush  !  "  he  whispered,  as  with  Ben's  help  he  clam 
bered  in.  "  Cap'n  Foster  landed  me  at  Nor' west;  and 
just  after  he  put  me  ashore,  two  straggling  redcoats 
caught  sight  of  me  and  gave  chase.  I  thought  at  first 
that  there  was  no  hope  of  escape,  but  when  we  reached 
the  woods  I  managed  to  outwit  them  by  taking  a  cross 
cut.  I'm  afraid,  though,  that  they  are  not  far  behind  ; 
and  half  a  mile  back  they  were  joined  by  some  of  their 
comrades,  I  judged  by  their  shouts." 

"Hark,  they  are  coming  now!"  cried  Ben,  as  the 
sound  of  running  feet  was  heard.  "  No,  they  are  going 
on,"  he  said,  pushing  aside  the  curtain  far  enough  for 
one  eye  to  command  the  street.  "Guess  they've  seen 
the  light  at  the  Hands'." 

"  Oh,  but  they'll  be  back  !  "  cried  Margaret.  "  Slip 
off  your  shoes,  Uncle  John."  And  leaving  Ben  on 
guard,  she  hurried  the  old  soldier  up-stairs,  having 
chanced  at  the  moment  to  remember  the  attic  closet. 
The  moon,  shining  in  at  the  dormer-window,  gave  all 
the  light  that  was  necessary. 

"  Would  any  one  think  of  looking  here,  Uncle  John?  " 
she  asked  anxiously,  as  she  showed  him  the  hiding- 
place. 

"I  don't  know,  Meg.  I'm  sure  I  shouldn't,"  he  an 
swered,  putting  his  somewhat  bulky  person  with  as  little 
noise  as  possible  through  the  narrow  opening.  "Pretty 
close  fit  for  me."  It  was,  indeed;  but  Margaret  was 
too  sorely  troubled  to  think  of  laughing  at  the  spec 
tacle  he  made. 


IN  HIDING.  285 

"Now,"  she  charged,  slipping  the  board  into  place, 
"  remember  you  are  not  to  speak  nor  move  until  I  come 
to  let  you  out." 

Down-stairs  she  found  Ben  still  at  the  window. 

"Oh,  go  to  bed,  Ben!"  she  whispered.  "You  are 
tired  out.  I'll  call  you  if  you're  wanted." 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  said  Ben  stoutly.  "You  can  go 
yourself.  I'm  bound  to  see  this  thing  through." 

But  Margaret  was  too  excited  to  think  of  shutting  her 
eyes.  Besides,  the  prisoner  in  the  attic  had  had  nothing 
to  eat.  And  while  Ben  continued  to  keep  a  lookout,  she 
managed  to  smuggle  up  a  generous  supply  of  food  and 
drink. 

The  remainder  of  the  night  passed  without  disturb 
ance,  and  Margaret  began  to  feel  that  the  danger  was 
over.  But  in  the  morning,  as  the  family  were  leaving 
the  breakfast-table,  two  redcoats  appeared  at  the  door, 
and  demanded  to  know  whether  a  rebel  soldier  had 
taken  refuge  there.  Margaret  and  Ben  held  their  peace, 
with  their  hearts  in  their  mouths  ;  and  before  the  old 
Quaker  could  speak,  Prudence,  proclaiming  herself  a 
loyal  subject  of  King  George,  declared  emphatically 
that  no  one  had  entered  the  house  ;  and  while  her  parrot 
screamed,  "  God  save  the  King  !  "  she  sweetly  asked  the 
strangers  to  be  seated  and  have  some  breakfast.  The 
men  accepted  this  invitation  with  greediness ;  and  while 
they  were  being  served,  Margaret  improved  the  oppor 
tunity  to  fly  to  the  attic. 

"  Are  you  able  to  breathe  in  there,  Uncle  John?  "  she 
asked  in  a  whisper. 


286  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"Ay,  ay,  child,  there  are  plenty  of  air-holes;  and 
here  is  something  that  I  forgot  to  give  you  last  night, 
though  to  see  that  you  got  it  safely  was  chiefly  what  I 
came  for  —  for  that,  and  to  get  money  for  our  men." 
And  through  a  crevice  near  the  floor  he  slipped  a  crum 
pled  letter.  She  caught  it  up  with  a  quick  cry,  and  ran 
to  the  window.  But  before  she  could  break  the  seal, 
she  heard  her  aunt  climbing  the  stairs. 

"Don't  speak,"  she  whispered.  "Aunt  Prudence  is 
coming." 

There  was  no  way  of  escape,  and  she  hastily  hid  the 
letter  in  her  bosom.  At  the  same  instant  a  burst  of 
martial  music  came  up  from  the  street,  and  looking 
down  she  saw  a  blaze  of  scarlet  uniforms.  All  the  men 
were  mounted,  and  the  fear  that  their  coming  was  con 
nected  with  her  uncle  dismayed  her.  But  —  there  was 
her  aunt. 

"  Come  see  the  show,  Aunt  Prudence  !  "  she  cried. 

"What!  you  up  here?"  exclaimed  Prudence,  sud 
denly  perceiving  the  slender  figure  at  the  window.  But 
she  was  in  too  much  haste  to  give  any  attention  to  what 
was  going  on  outside.  One  of  her  guests  was  afflicted 
with  chills,  and  she  had  prescribed  a  course  of  herb 
tea. 

"  One  doesn't  need  to  come  to  the  attic  to  see  what  is 
going  on  in  the  street,"  she  said  in  a  bristling  tone ; 
and  having  selected  her  simples,  she  hurried  down. 
Margaret  listened  until  she  was  sure  that  she  had 
reached  the  ground  floor  before  venturing  to  take  out 
her  letter.  It  was  from  Lodowick,  with  u  message 


IN  HIDING.  287 

from  her  father ;  and  by  the  time  that  she  had  read  the 
first  line,  she  knew  that  the  rumor  concerning  them  was 
true.  They  had  both  been  captured  on  board  the  priva 
teer,  and  were  still  prisoners.  But  "  prisoners  of  hope," 
Lodowick  wrote  bravely  ;  for  being  officers,  they  felt  con 
fident  that  an  exchange  would  soon  be  effected.  But 
brave  as  he  was,  he  could  not  still  his  heart's  cry,  "  O 
love,  love!  when  will  this  brutal  warfare  end?"  Mar 
garet  pressed  her  lips  to  the  words. 

4"  O  love,  love  !  "  her  heart  repeated.  But  her  uncle 
was  asking  through  the  crevice  the  meaning  of  the  tu 
mult  on  the  street,  and  she  flew  down  to  investigate. 
Ben  met  her  in  the  entry. 

"  It's  a  party  of  British  officers,"  he  explained  ex 
citedly,  "  moving  over  from  Southampton.  General 
Clinton's  arrived  there  with  seven  or  eight  hundred 
men,  and  there  wasn't  room  for  all  of  'em." 

Margaret  returned  to  the  attic  feeling  somewhat  easier. 
Still,  the  presence  of  this  company  of  officers,  she  knew 
very  well,  was  not  likely  to  lessen  the  risk  that  her 
uncle  was  incurring.  She  had  already  taken  her  grand 
father  into  her  confidence  ;  and  when  in  the  afternoon 
Prudence  went  out  to  discuss  the  new  arrival  with  some 
of  her  neighbors,  the  old  Quaker  mounted  to  the  attic, 
and  with  Margaret  standing  guard  on  the  landing,  re 
moved  the  innocent-looking  board,  and  clasped  his  son 
in  his  arms. 

Captain  Foster  had  agreed  that  if  he  found  the  road 
stead  clear  he  would  come  to  anchor  in  the  creek  that 
evening,  and  soon  after  dinner  Ben  stole  off  to  recon- 


288  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

noitre.  He  wore  the  old  army  cloak ;  and  at  nightfall 
the  cloak  passed  out  the  gate  again.  But  the  wearer 
now  was  John  Thurston,  and  he  carried  under  its  friendly 
folds  two  hundred  dollars  in  gold. 

"See  here,  Meg,"  said  Ben,  "I'm  not  going  to  let 
him  go  away  down  there  alone.  I'll  stop  for  Burt,  and 
we'll  follow  along  to  see  that  he  gets  there  all  right/' 
And  shouldering  his  old  duck-gun,  he  slipped  out,  and 
took  the  road  for  Nor' west  Creek. 

It  was  past  midnight  when  Margaret,  keeping  her 
patient  watch,  heard  his  cautious  step  on  the  porch. 
She  started  up  eagerly. 

"Safe?"  she  whispered  as  she  let  him  in.  But  he 
made  no  answer ;  and  when  they  reached  the  keeping- 
room,  where  the  candle  was  burning,  she  saw  that  he 
was  deathly  white. 

"O  Meg!"  he  cried,  sinking  down  on  the  settle, 
"Meg,  they've  captured  him!" 

Margaret  dropped  down  beside  him  in  dismayed  si 
lence. 

"  Burt  and  I  ran  nearly  all  the  way,"  he  said,  brokenly  ; 
"but  he  was  'most  to  the  creek  before  we  overtook  him. 
It  was  flood  tide.  A  small  boat,  manned  by  three  sailors, 
had  just  pulled  ashore  ;  and  supposing  that  it  belonged 
to  Cap'n  Foster's  sloop,  Uncle  John  hurried  ahead. 
Just  then  we  discovered  by  the  light  of  the  moon  that 
they  were  redcoats  ;  and  Burt  and  I  made  a  dash  to  help 
him,  but  they  hauled  him  in,  and  took  to  their  oars. 
And  to  think  that  they  were  scarcely  out  of  sight  when 
Cap'n  Foster  himself  came  rowing  up  the  creek  !  O 


IN  HIDING.  289 

Meg,  it's  dreadful ;  but  the  cap'n  promised  to  do  his 
best  to  rescue  him,  and  perhaps  we'd  better  not  tell 
grandpa  — yet  a  while." 

"  No,  not  while  there  is  any  room  for  hope,"  said  the 
girl,  despairingly. 


290  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

A  GENUINE  ENGLISH  GENTLEMAN. 

IT  was  soon  known  in  the  village  that  the  new-comers 
had  established  themselves  in  Colonel  Gardiner's 
house.  It  was  a  goodly  company.  There  was  that 
courtly  and  kindly  gentleman  Sir  William  Erskine,  and 
his  fiery  young  aide-de-camp  Lord  Percy,  together  with 
Lord  Cathcart  and  several  other  scions  of  titled  stock ; 
and  the  colonel  under  other  circumstances  would  have 
felt  honored  in  having  them  for  guests. 

Priest  Buell  had  already  made  the  acquaintance  of 
several  of  the  officers ;  and  feeling  that  it  was  wiser  to 
conciliate  them  personally,  than  to  antagonize  them,  he 
treated  them  from  the  first  with  the  courtesy  due  from 
one  gentleman  to  another. 

"  He  knows  what  he's  about,"  commented  Silas  Post. 

And  indeed  the  little  minister,  with  the  wisdom  of  the 
serpent  and  the  harmlessness  of  the  dove,  knew  very 
well  what  he  was  about.  He  had  always  a  rare  faculty 
for  making  friends  ;  and  with  his  genial  disposition,  his 
quickness  at  repartee,  and  his  inimitable  way  of  telling 
a  story,  he  was  one  of  the  pleasantest  of  companions  for 
young  and  old.  Besides,  he  had  a  fondness  for  the  chase 
quite  equal  to  that  of  the  most  English  of  the  English ; 


A   GENUINE  ENGLISH   GENTLEMAN.  29 1 

and  Sir  William  Erskine,  having  discovered  the  fact, 
often  invited  him  to  join  his  party  on  their  hunting  expe 
ditions.  It  chanced  that  on  one  of  these  occasions  the 
minister  was  detained  until  past  the  hour  appointed  for 
the  meet,  and  on  reaching  headquarters  he  found  most 
of  the  younger  officers  already  in  the  saddle ;  but  Sir 
William  at  once,  with  characteristic  courtesy,  requested 
them  to  dismount  to  receive  him.  He  had  not  till  then 
met  Lord  Percy  ;  and  after  the  introduction,  he  chanced 
id  inquire  of  his  lordship  what  part  of  his  Majesty's 
troops  he  had  the  honor  to  command. 

The  young  aide-de-camp,  irritated  by  the  delay  and 
the  order  to  dismount,  was  impatiently  pacing  the  floor. 

"A  legion  of  devils  just  from  hell,"  he  answered  curtly. 

"  Then  I  suppose  I  have  the  honor  to  address  Beelze 
bub,  the  prince  of  devils,"  responded  Priest  Buell  with 
a  profound  bow. 

In  his  wrath  at  this  unexpected  retort,  Lord  Percy, 
with  a  very  unlordly  malediction,  started  to  draw  his 
sword ;  but  a  word  from  Sir  William  brought  him  to  his 
senses,  and  long  before  the  chase  was  over,  Priest  Buell 
had  won  his  lasting  friendship. 

With  Sir  William  he  soon  became  a  prime  favorite ; 
and  this  amicable  state  of  affairs  between  their  pastor  and 
those  in  power  often  served  the  people  in  good  stead. 

"Things  are  bad  enough,  the  Lord  knows  ;  but  they'd 
be  a  sight  wuss  if  'twasn't  for  Priest  Buell,"  said  Silas 

CT 

Post,  when  through  the  mediation  of  the  plucky  little 
parson  some  of  the  requirements  of  the  enemy  too  griev 
ous  to  be  borne  had  been  brought  within  reason.  But 


29  2  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

this  influence  was  never  obtained  at  a  sacrifice  of  his 
Whig  principles  ;  for  of  these  he  made  no  concealment, 
and  when  occasion  required  he  was  equally  fearless  in 
asserting  his  own  authority. 

"Sir  William  Erskine  is  a  genuine  English  gentle 
man,"  he  said,  while  calling  one  morning  on  Margaret 
and  her  grandfather.  "If  England  would  only  send 
us  a  few  more  of  the  same  stamp,  the  quarrel  would 
soon  be  ended." 

"Provided  they  acknowledged  our  independence," 
said  Margaret,  quickly. 

"  Surely  not  without  that  proviso,  little  patriot/'  re 
sponded  Priest  Buell ;  "  and  men  of  that  sort  would  not 
long  withhold  the  acknowledgment.  At  heart  Sir  Wil 
liam,  I  am  confident,  is  fully  in  sympathy  with  the  colo 
nies.  But  I  must  be  going.  Put  on  vour  hat,  child, 
and  go  home  with  me.  Jerusha  is  there.  And  you  too, 
Friend  Thurston.  The  walk  will  do  you  good." 

"Thank  thee,  Friend  Buell,"  said  the  old  Quaker, 
rising  at  once  ;  for  he  saw  that  Margaret  was  eager  to 
£o,  and  that  settled  it. 

O       ' 

They  had  scarely  left  the  house  when  thev  met  Sir 
William  himself,  accompanied  by  his  aide-de-camp  ;  and 
when  the  two  had  lifted  their  hats,  with  courtly  defer 
ence  including  Margaret  in  the  greeting,  Sir  William 
asked  Priest  Buell  to  tarry  a  moment.  lie  had  been 
looking  for  him,  he  said,  to  let  him  know  that  he  had 
ordered  the  people  of  his  parish  to  appear  the  next  day 
(Sunday)  with  their  teams  at  Southampton. 

"  Pardon  me,  Sir  William,"   answered  the  minister, 


A   GENUINE  ENGLISH  GENTLEMAN.  293 

with  a  twinkle  in  his  pleasant  eyes,  "I  was  already 
aware  of  the  order ;  but  for  to-morrow  I  claim  the  pre 
cedence  as  commander-in-chief,  and  have  taken  the  lib 
erty  to  countermand  it."  Whereupon  the  general,  with 
a  hearty  English  laugh,  acknowledged  himself  out 
ranked  for  the  day,  and  gave  directions  to  have  the 
revocation  confirmed. 

"It's  roisterin'  times  they're  havin'  at  Hunttin's,"  re 
marked  Silas  Post,  the  next  afternoon,  leaning  over  the 
hi'dge  for  a  word  with  Margaret,  who  was  searching  for 
signs  of  bloom  in  her  daffodil  beds.  "  I  happened  in 
there  las'  night,  an'  there  was  a  dozen  or  more  of  'em 
settin'  roun'  the  fireplace,  spinnin'  yarns,  an'  drinkin' 
down  their  flip,  with  a  red-hot  poker  in  it  to  set  it 
a-foamin'.  Eh,  but  they're  a  pleasure-levin'  crew ! 
Yisterd'y  they's  over  to  the  Manor  huntin'  deer,  an'  to- 
morrer  they're  goin'  on  a  fox  hunt.  They'd  ought  to 
come  'bout  twenty  years  sooner,  if  they  wanted  to  find 
foxes.  I've  heard  Uncle  Joe  King,  over  to  Southold, 
tell  about  killin'  five  in  one  day,  an'  takin'  'em  home  on 
his  back — he's  an  awful  powerful  man,  you  know; 
but  they're  ruther  skerce  now,  an'  I  guess  the  deer  ain't 
none  too  plenty." 

"And  those  at  the  Manor  are  so  tame,"  said  Marga 
ret,  standing  up  with  her  trowel  in  her  hand.  "It's  a 
shame  to  harm  them,  they  have  always  been  so  kindly 
treated." 

"That's  so;  they  ain't  much  use'  to  the  sound  o' 
guns,"  Silas  assented. 

"  Talkin'  about  deer,"  he  said  to  himself,  reluctantly 


294  ^N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

hobbling  on,  Margaret  having  turned  back  to  her  flower 
beds;  "she's  one  herself.  Them  eyes  o'  hers  al'ays 
mind  me  of  a  doe's." 

Meanwhile  there  had  been  another  wedding  at  the 
parsonage.  It  was  a  quiet  home  wedding,  with  none  of 
the  romance  of  youth  about  it,  the  bride  being  Mrs. 
Jerusha  Buell  Gardiner,  and  the  groom  Mr.  Isaac  Con- 
kling  of  Amagansett.  But  a  wedding  under  any  cir 
cumstances  makes  a  ripple  of  excitement ;  and  as  the 
matronly  bride  was  beloved  by  every  one,  the  entire  com 
munity  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  event. 

But  to  Margaret  the  marriage  brought  a  heartache ; 
for  though  she  had  a  high  regard  for  Mr.  Isaac  Con- 
kling,  she  could  not  help  feeling  a  little  jealous  of  him 
for  having  won  her  friend. 

"It  will  never  be  the  same  again,"  she  said,  sorrow 
fully. 

"Oh,  fy,  fy,  deary,"  chided  Jerusha;  "changing 
one's  name  doesn't  change  one's  heart.  And  Amagan 
sett  is  only  three  miles  away." 

But  Margaret  thought  of  David  Gardiner  and  of  Lodo- 
wick,  and  wondered  in  her  loyal  young  soul  how  it  was 
possible  for  a  woman  to  forget  her  first  love. 


A  MAY  DAY  IDYL.  295 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 

A    MAY    DAY    IDYL. 

T1ETTY  OSGOOD  walked  in  one  day  carrying  a  bas- 
-L*  ket  of  flax,  and  behind  her  came  Burt  with  her 
spinning-wheel  on  his  shoulder. 

The  day  was  one  of  those  avant-coureurs  of  summer 
that  sometimes  steal  a  march  on  June,  and  after  dinner 
Margaret  proposed  their  going  out  on  the  grass-plot  to 
spin. 

"There  is  always  a  breeze  in  the  afternoon  on  the 
west  side  of  the  house,"  she  said;  and  as  she  had  not 
finished  her  wool  rolls,  she  called  to  Hagar  to  come  help 
her  take  out  the  large  wheel.  But  Hagar  was  not  in 
the  kitchen. 

"I  kin  he'p  yo',  my  girl,"  cried  Rick,  who,  though 
fast  growing  into  a  sturdy  lad,  still  persisted  in  calling 
Margaret  by  the  name  he  had  given  her  when  he  first 
began  to  toddle.  And  when,  with  the  aid  of  his  willing 
arms,  the  wheel  was  finally  in  place  beneath  the  big 
buttonball-tree,  he  went  to  turning  somersets.  But  tir 
ing  at  last  of  this  trite  pastime,  he  mounted  the  gate  in 
the  opening  between  the  high  palings,  and  with  his  back 
to  the  road,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  his  young  mis 
tress  in  sight,  "  made  believe  "  that  he  was  on  horseback. 


296  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

The  girls  were  giving  all  their  attention  to  their 
work. 

"  I  want  to  have  these  ready  to  reel  off  on  the  swifts 
before  night,"  said  Margaret,  as,  having  fastened  a 
fresh  roll  on  the  spindle,  she  took  up  her  wheel-pin; 
"  and  every  knot  is  to  go  into  socks  for  our  soldiers." 

Before  she  could  set  her  wheel  in  motion  again,  a 
man's  voice  was  heard  on  the  other  side  of  the  paling. 

"  Egad  !  the  fates  favor  us.  Here  ith  prethithly  what 
we  want  for  a  thkullion  for  our  meth.  Hi,  you  little 
black  imp  !  " 

Then  came  a  shriek  from  Rick,  who,  with  his  arms 
pinioned  behind  him,  was  striking  out  vigorously  with 
his  legs  at  his  unseen  foe. 

"  Here,  th-thop  that  bellowin',  or  you'll  get  your  ear 
thliced  off  !  "  threatened  his  captor. 

Betty  started  up  with  a  white  face. 

"  O  Margaret !  "  she  cried. 

But  Margaret,  who  had  sprung  to  the  gate  with  her 
wheel-pin  in  her  hand,  stood  facing  the  intruder  like  a 
queen  with  her  sceptre. 

"  Let  the  child  go,"  she  commanded,  "  or  I'll  report 
you  to  General  Erskine." 

"Oho!"  jeered  the  man  with  a  bold  stare  at  the 
lovely  face. 

"  Wretch  !  how  dare  you?  "  demanded  a  voice  behind 
him  ;  and  with  the  suddenness  of  a  thunder-bolt  a  horse 
whip  snapped  across  his  back. 

Just  then  from  the  garden  beyond  the  grass-plot  the 
old  Quaker  pressed  forward,  and  with  him  Priest  Buell. 


A  MAY  DAY  IDYL.  297 

The  latter  had  been  inspecting  the  bee-hives,  and  he 
held  in  his  hand  a  fragment  of  honeycomb. 

"  Ah,  Sir  William,  this  is  a  timeous  arrival,"  he  said 
to  the  owner  of  the  horsewhip ;  while  Rick,  finding  him 
self  released,  scrambled  over  the  gate,  and  took  refuge 
beside  Margaret. 

"It  is  an  untimeous  arrival  for  this  scoundrel,"  an 
swered  Sir  William.  "  Here,"  he  called  to  some  of  his 
men,  who  were  close  behind  him,  "  take  him  to  the  Bas- 
trle.1  When  I  am  at  leisure  I  will  attend  to  him." 

As  he  gave  the  order,  he  was  joined  by  his  aide-de 
camp,  Lord  Percy,  and  two  young  men,  whom  he  intro 
duced  as  Lieutenant  Burton  and  Major  Andre.  At  the 
same  moment  Silas  Post  stopped  at  the  gate. 

"  Come  in,  friends,  come  in,"  said  the  old  Quaker, 
with  simple  and  impartial  hospitality. 

Sir  William  accepted  the  invitation  with  a  frank 
expression  of  pleasure,  and  the  three  young  officers 
promptly  followed  his  example.  But  Silas,  who  had 
halted  merely  to  see  what  the  disturbance  was,  strode 
on  with  a  shrug. 

"  It's  well  enough  for  the  parson  to  be  friendly  with 
'em,"  he  muttered;  "but  there  ain't  any  call  for  their 
bein'  invited  to  folks'  houses." 

"  I  am  sorry  not  to  be  able  to  give  you  the  right  hand 
of  fellowship,"  said  Priest  Buell,  with  a  smile;  "but 
Friend  Thurston  has  been  treating  me  to  a  sample  of  the 
products  of  his  hives." 

"But  thy  friends  can  treat  us  to  something  better," 

l  This  "  Bastile  "  was  Colonel  Gardiner's  attic. 


298  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

responded  the  white-haired  host;  "  for  doth  not  the  old 
riddle  say  that  '  Pleasant  discourse  is  sweeter  than  honey 
to  the  soul,  and  a  medicine  to  the  bones'?" 

"A  medicine  that  we  poor  exiles  are  sorely  in  need 
of,"  said  Sir  William,  with  a  sigh.  "And  thou  art  a 
lover  of  bees,  friend?  Truly  I  envy  thee  the  leisure  to 
indulge  the  liking.  Would  God  this  odious  war  were 
ended,  and  we  were  back  in  old  England,  listening  to 
the  hum  of  the  bees  in  the  heather.  But,"  bowing  with 
grave  courtesy  to  Margaret  and  Betty,  "  wre  must  crave 
the  pardon  of  these  fair  spinners  for  the  start  that  villain 
gave  them,  and  for  our  own  intrusion  on  their  privacy." 

The  "fair  spinners"  accepted  the  apology  with  the 
graceful  dignity  of  gentlewomen,  and  were  about  to 
withdraw ;  but  Lord  Percy  and  his  companions  adroitly 
frustrated  this  intention  by  engaging  them  at  once  in 
conversation.  They  were  all  young,  and  with  the  affin 
ity  of  youth  for  youth  they  soon  forgot  that  they  were 
enemies. 

To  the  young  men  the  spinning-wheels  \vere  mysteries 
of  absorbing  interest ;  and  presently  Margaret,  with 
stately  step,  was  demonstrating  the  process  by  which  the 
fleecy  roll  attached  to  the  spindle  was  converted  into 
yarn.  And  then  Betty  \vas  ingenuously  entreated  to 
show  them  how  to  spin  flax. 

And  while  this  \vas  going  on,  Dame  Prudence,  well 
pleased  in  having  guests  of  such  distinction  to  wait  on, 
came  bustling  out,  bringing  a  tray  of  seed-cakes  ;  and 
behind  her  was  Hagar,  bearing  a  tankard  of  home 
brewed  beer,  and  a  supply  of  mugs  and  glasses. 


A  MAY  DAY  IDYL.  299 

"  It's  but  meagre  hospitality  we  can  offer  in  these  dis 
loyal  days,"  apologized  the  matron. 

"Ah,  this  is  nectar  and  ambrosia,"  declared  Lord 
Percy.  "  One  could  ask  for  nothing  better." 

"  Ay,  we  had  looked  for  no  such  cheer  as  this,"  said 
the  young  major;  "and  the  best  of  it  all  is  the  home 
ilavor — a  bouquet  rarer  than  that  of  the  choicest  of 
wines.  It  carries  us  back  to  England,  and  will,  I  am 
sure,  make  us  dream  of  our  mothers  and  sisters." 

*"  And  sweethearts,"  added  Lord  Percy,  bowing  smil 
ingly  to  Margaret  and  Betty. 

o    ^/  o  */ 

"Yes,  of  our  sweethearts  too,"  assented  the  major, 
blushing  like  a  girl. 

"Ah,  it  is  an  oasis  in  the  desert,"  chimed  in  Sir 
William;  "an  hour  like  this,  to  one  condemned  to  the 
dreariness  of  camp-life." 

And  when  at  last  these  friendly  foes  departed,  it  was 
with  a  fixed  purpose,  on  the  part  of  the  younger  men  at 
least,  to  make  the  most  of  the  invitation  that  Prudence 
had  pressed  upon  them  to  repeat  their  call ;  an  invitation 
that  the  old  Quaker  had  seconded  in  a  manner  which, 
while  not  lacking  in  cordiality,  left  them  in  no  doubt  as 
to  who  was  the  head  of  the  house. 

"Meg!"  whispered  Betty,  clutching  her  cousin  by 
the  arm  as  they  vanished,  "  did  you  ever  dream  that 
there  were  such  men  anywhere  ?  so  handsome !  so 
courtly ! " 

"' Oh,  believe  me,  sir, 

It  carries  a  brave  form,'  " 

quoted  Margaret  mockingly ; 


300  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


"  '  Nothing  natural 

I  ever  saw  so  noble.'  " 


But  for  all  that,  Betty,  they  are  our  enemies." 

"Ah,  but  they  are  enemies  worth  having,"  said  Priest 
Buell,  catching  only  the  last  of  her  answer;  "for  while 
they  would  not  hesitate  to  bayonet  us  in  open  fight,  we 
need  have  no  fears  of  their  striking  us  in  the  back.  As 
for  Sir  William,  he  is  a  prince  among  men,  and  any 
one  who  is  honored  with  his  friendship  may  justly  be 
proud  of  it." 

Prudence  nodded  approvingly,  setting  all  her  ribbons 
a-flutter. 

"We  might  be  proud  to  have  any  of  them  for  our 
friends,"  she  said,  as  she  took  up  the  empty  tankard. 

"  Nay,  there  is  a  difference,  Prudence,"  answered 
her  father-in-law.  "  We  should  hardly  care  to  put  on 
our  list  of  friends  the  wretch  who  was  trying  to  kidnap 
little  Rick." 

"And  what  proof  is  there,  pray,  that  he  had  any 
thought  of  kidnapping  him  ?  He  doubtless  wanted  only 
to  frighten  the  child.  But  if  he  could  be  of  any  use  to 
them,  why  not  let  them  have  him?  He  is  quite  old 
enough  to  be  doing  something  besides  turning  somer 
sets." 

Rick,  who  having  disposed  of  the  last  fragment  of  his 
cake,  was  at  that  instant  standing  on  his  head,  sprung  up 
with  his  black  eyes  blazing. 

"  I  isn't  a-goin'  wid  no  webcoats.  I  isn't  goin'  to  lebe 
my  girl.  Marse  Bruce  he  tol'  me  to  take  kere  o'  Miss 
Marge,  an'  I's  a-goin'  to,  I  is."  And  catching  at  Mar- 


A   MAY  DAY  IDYL.  3OI 

garet's  gown,  he  emphasized  his  declaration  with  a  stamp 
of  his  little  brown  foot  on  the  grass. 

Prudence  frowned  darkly.  But  Priest  Buell  gallantly 
forestalled  her  wrath. 

"Allow  me,  madam,"  he  said;  and  having  relieved 
her  of  the  tankard,  he  escorted  her  to  the  house,  with 
cordial  thanks  for  the  refreshments  she  had  furnished. 
"  Such  hospitality  sometimes  goes  a  long  way  toward 
converting  enemies  into  friends,"  he  added  with  his  win 
ning  smile.  And  Prudence,  congratulating  herself  on 
this  clerical  approval  of  the  policy  that  she  had  adopted 
from  the  beginning,  made,  in  response  to  his  parting 
bow,  an  elaborate  courtesy,  with  a  face  as  smiling  as 
his  own. 

A  day  or  two  later  a  huge  hamper  was  left  at  the 
door,  containing  generous  supplies  of  sugar,  molasses, 
tea,  coffee,  and  spices ;  and  Prudence  accepted  it  as  the 
just  reward  of  her  loyalty. 

In  the  meantime  Margaret  had  made  the  discovery 
that  Lieutenant  Burton  was  the  young  officer  who  had 
so  gallantly  rescued  her  grandfather's  hat. 


302  AH  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI. 

THE    YOUNG    MAJOR. 

/T^HOSE  were  trying  days  for  Lord  Lion,  for  it  was 
J-  only  by  stealth  that  Margaret  could  give  him  an 
outing.  Sometimes  in  the  early  twilight  she  would  sta 
tion  either  Ben  or  Rick  on  guard,  and  take  two  or  three 
turns  in  the  pasture  :  but  the  amount  of  exercise  thus 
obtained  fell  far  short  of  his  lordship's  need;  and  when 
one  morning,  a  day  or  two  after  the  officers'  visit,  Ben 
reported  that  officers  and  men  had  gone  deer-shooting 
on  Gardiner's  Island,  she  determined  to  give  Lion  the 
benefit  of  their  absence. 

"Are  you  sure  that  none  of  them  have  stayed  be 
hind?"  she  asked  Ben. 

"  Well,  I  take  Tobe's  word  for  it.  lie  says  the  whole 
kit  and  cargo  went.  Priest  Buell's  gone  too,  and  he's 
very  wise.  They  won't  do  half  the  mischief  at  the 
Manor  if  he's  along.  Tobe  savs  the  dining-room's 
dented  from  one  end  to  the  other  where  they've  pitched 
quoits.  And  they've  helped  themselves  to  nearly  all 
the  horses  that  were  left  there.  Tell  you,  they've  got 
their  eye  on  every  horse  in  the  neighborhood.  Dan 
Conklin  had  an  order  from  them  a  few  days  ago  for  his 
big  bay ;  and  though  Gilfillan  has  given  him  a  written 


THE    YOUNG   MAJOR.  303 

permit1  to  keep  the  horse,  he's  all  the  time  in  fear  that 
they'll  manage  to  get  him.  They  never  stop  to  say  '  by 
your  leave  ; '  and  I  don't  think  it's  very  safe  for  you  to  go 
riding  round  alone,  Meg." 

"Thou  art  right,  Benjamin,"  said  his  grandfather, 
coming  into  the  stable  in  time  to  hear  this  protest.  "If 
Margaret  is  going  to  ride,  thou  canst  saddle  Vic." 

"  And  go  with  her?"  asked  Ben  quickly. 

The  old  man  hesitated.  He  would  have  preferred  to 
go4himself ,  not  liking  to  trust  Margaret  out  of  his  sight ; 
but  Ben,  he  saw,  was  eager  for  a  gallop.  "On  one 
condition,"  he  said;  "and  that  is  that  thou  wilt  keep 
within  the  village  limits." 

Margaret,  meanwhile,  finding  that  she  had  forgotten 
her  gauntlets,  gave  Rick  leave  to  ride  twice  around  the 
barnyard  while  she  ran  in  to  get  them.  She  had  in 
tended  to  mount  in  the  yard ;  but  the  boy,  not  knowing 
this,  slipped  off  at  the  end  of  the  second  round,  and  led 
Lion  out  to  the  woodpile. 

"  I's  goin'  to  wait  fo'  yo'  out  here,  my  girl,"  he  called. 

But  the  next  instant  a  rough  hand  tossed  Rick  aside, 
and  seized  the  bridle. 

"Hi,  dar  !  "  shouted  Rick,  picking  himself  up  from 
among  the  chips.  And  as  the  owner  of  the  hand,  a 
man  with  a  face  as  black  as  his  own,  sprung  into  the 
saddle,  the  boy,  catching  hold  of  the  crupper,  leapt  up 
behind.  A  volley  of  oaths  ensued  ;  but  Lord  Lion  was 
rearing  and  plunging,  and  the  man  had  too  much  to  do 

l  Both  this  order  and  Major-General  Gilfillan's  "  permit "  are  in  the  possession 
of  a  grandson  of  Daniel  Conklin. 


304  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

to  keep  his  seat  to  give  any  attention  to  the  small  monkey 
at  his  back ;  and  by  the  time  the  others  reached  the 
woodpile,  the  horse,  with  his  two  riders,  had  turned  a 
corner  and  was  out  of  sight. 

Just  what  had  happened  it  was  not  at  first  easy  to  tell. 
They  had  all  heard  the  oaths ;  and  Margaret  had  not 
only  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  man's  face,  but  had  seen 
Rick  scramble  up  behind  him. 

"  Ben,  Ben,  do  push  after  them  on  Vic  !  "  she  cried  in 
desperation.  "If  the  man  wanted  Lion  badly  enough 
to  steal  him,  it  is  not  likely  he  will  do  anything  to  injure 
him;  but  there's  no  telling  what  he  will  do  to  Rick." 

"  My  stars,  Meg!  they'd  be  half  way  to  Jamaica  be 
fore  Vic  could  overtake  'em.  You  know  you  never  can 
make  him  go  unless  he  has  some  other  horse  to  keep  up 
with.  Probably  the  fellow  belongs  to  some  of  the  Brit 
ish,  and  in  that  case  you  may  as  well  make  up  your 
mind  that  Rick  and  Lord  Lion  are  gone  for  good." 

"  O  Ben  !  "  cried  Margaret. 

"  Thou'rt  but  a  poor  comforter,  Benjamin,"  said  his 
grandfather.  "  Lion  has  a  mind  of  his  own,  and  little 
Rick  knows  his  ways.  Let  us  be  patient." 

At  that  moment  Major  Andre  rode  up  to  the  woodpile. 

"  What,  friend  !  we  thought  thou  hadst  gone  with  the 
others  to  the  Manor?"  said  the  old  Quaker. 

"It  was  my  intention  to  go;  but  I  was  delayed,  m\ 
horse  having  had  the  misfortune  to  cast  a  shoe,  and 
when  I  reached  Fireplace  I  found  no  boat  there.  But 
what  is  troubling  you?"  he  ventured  to  inquire,  infer 
ring  from  their  faces  that  something  was  amiss. 


THE    YOUNG  MAJOR.  305 

"You  are  quite  sure  that  it  was  a  black  man?"  he 
asked,  when  the  matter  had  been  briefly  explained. 
"  Had  it  been  a  soldier,  I  should  be  strongly  inclined  to 
suspect  that  it  might  be  Wickson,  the  wretch  that  tried 
to  kidnap  your  boy  ;  for  Sir  William  punished  him  by 
keeping  him  in  the  attic  on  bread  and  water  for  a  whole 
day,  besides  giving  him  thirty  lashes,  and  I  hear  that 
he  has  vowed  to  have  his  revenge." 

"  Oh,  he  was  black  !  "  Margaret  insisted.  "  I  saw  his 
face  very  plainly." 

"Why  not  follow  them?"  suggested  the  major,  turn 
ing  to  Ben.  "They  surely  cannot  have  gotten  far  on 
the  way.  Mount  your  horse,  and  let  us  give  chase." 
And  Ben,  nothing  loath,  now  that  Vic  was  to  have  a 
comrade,  sprung  to  the  saddle  ;  the  major's  horse  broke 
into  a  gallop,  and  Vic  was  at  once  on  his  mettle. 

But  they  had  gone  scarcely  half  a  mile  when  Lord 
Lion  flashed  past  them,  with  Rick  in  the  saddle,  headed 
for  home. 

"  I's  got  him!"  shouted  Rick  triumphantly.  But 
Lord  Lion  waited  for  nothing. 

"Heaven  help  the  youngster!"  cried  the  major,  as 
they  wheeled  about.  "  He  will  do  well  if  he  gets  to  the 
ground  without  a  broken  neck." 

But  when  they  drew  rein  at  the  woodpile  they  found 
Rick  astride  the  sawbuck,  recounting  the  way  in  which 
he  had  escaped,  with  Margaret  and  her  grandfather,  Mis 
tress  Prudence  and  "  Mammy  Hagar,"  for  his  audience. 
But  Prudence,  not  having  on  her  best  cap,  vanished  be 
fore  the  major  had  a  chance  to  recognize  her. 


306  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"Lord  Lium,  jes'  'fo' we  gits  to  Sag,"  said  the  boy, 
"  he  up  an'  pitch  de  man  ober  his  ears,  an'  den  he  turn 
his  head  to  his  tail  an'  start  fo'  home,  an'  all  I  has  to  do 
is  to  hoi'  on." 

"He's  a  plucky  little  chap,"  said  the  major  to  Mar 
garet,  who  stood  soothing  Lord  Lion  ;  "  and  as  for  your 
horse,  no  wonder  some  one  coveted  him.  But  doubtless 
it  was  in  obedience  to  orders  that  the  negro  was  trying 
to  capture  him." 

"  Him  wa'n't  no  nigger.  Him  nuffin  but  a  webcoat," 
Rick  declared,  quirking  his  small  nose  with  fine  con 
tempt.  "  He  bery  black  face,  but  he  fo'git  to  blackum 
up  his  han's." 

"  Oh,  if  that  is  the  case,"  said  the  young  major,  with 
a  laugh,  "  we  may  be  able  to  put  some  one  on  his  track." 
Then  he  turned  again  to  Lord  Lion. 

"  What  a  splendid  animal  he  is  !  It  is  easy  to  see  that 
he  is  a  thoroughbred.  Ah,  but  I  love  horses  !  They 
are  noble  creatures."  And  he  laid  his  hand  on  his  own 
horse  as  if  about  to  remount.  "  I  am  at  a  loss  what 
to  do  with  myself  to-day.  It  is  too  late  to  join  the  hunt, 
and  a  deserted  barrack  is  a  wofully  lonesome  place." 

"If  thou  hast  nothing  better  to  do,  come  in  and  tell 
us  something  of  old  England,"  said  the  Quaker,  moved 
by  the  look  of  genuine  homesickness  in  the  handsome, 
boyish  face. 

"Ah,  you  are  kind  to  take  pity  on  me,"  cried  the 
young  man  eagerly;  "and  you  could  ask  no  sweeter 
service  —  if  it  will  not  be  intruding,"  he  added,  turning 
to  Margaret.  But  Margaret  was  leading  away  Lord 


THE    YOUNG   MAJOR.  307 

Lion,  for  whom  she  was  far  more  concerned  than  for 
the  young  major ;  and  though  the  latter  stayed  for  an 
hour,  entertaining  her  grandfather  with  his  vivid  de 
scriptions  of  places  and  people  in  England,  he  did  not 
see  her  again  until  he  had  risen  to  go. 

"It  is  a  rare  treat,"  he  said,  as  if  in  apology  for 
having  made  so  long  a  stay,  "for  a  stranger  in  a 
strange  land  to  have  a  chance  to  talk  of  home." 

"Ah,  Margaret,  thou  shouldst  have  been  here  !  "  cried 
h«r  grandfather,  his  face  in  a  glow.  "Our  friend  has 
visited  at  the  old  manor  in  Kent,  and  knows  our  kin 
dred."  And  Margaret's  frank  regret  was  quite  enough 
to  make  the  young  man  seat  himself  again  —  though  he 
did  it  half  unconsciously  —  and  repeat  some  of  the  de 
scriptions. 

The  old  Quaker  listened  at  first  with  unabated  inter 
est  ;  but  after  a  little  he  seemed  to  lose  himself  - 
whether  in  sleep,  or  in  a  waking  dream  of  the  old 
Kentish  homestead,  with  its  hop-fields  and  rose-gardens, 
they  knew  not ;  and  presently  the  major,  forgetting 
Kent,  found  himself  telling  Margaret  about  his  mother 
and  sisters. 

"  I  can  imagine  how  they  miss  you,"  she  said  gently ; 
"  and  how  they  must  suffer  in  knowing  that  you  are  ex 
posed  to  the  hardships  and  dangers  of  war." 

"Yes,  they  miss  me,"  he  said;  "but  not  as  I  miss 
them."  And  before  he  could  bring  himself  to  make  a 
second  break,  the  sympathy  in  the  kind  young  eyes  had 
drawn  from  him  the  story  of  his  lost  Honor  a. 

"This  is  like  her,  only  not  half  so  lovely,"  he  said, 


30  8  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

taking  from  his  breast  pocket  a  little  miniature  painted 
by  himself  in  the  first  flush  of  "love's  young  dream." 
And  while  Margaret,  with  misty  eyes,  was  studying  the 
beautiful  face,  Prudence  came  in,  looking  quite  the 
grand  dame  in  her  brocaded  black  petticoat  and  puce- 
colored  velvet  jacket,  with  knots  of  lavender  ribbons 
a-flutter  in  her  white  stomacher  and  high  lace  cap  ;  and 
at  once  everything  suffered  a  change  —  the  major,  hast 
ily  putting  the  miniature  out  of  sight,  stood  up  to  receive 
her  florid  greeting,  and  the  old  man  roused  from  his 
dream  with  a  start,  while  Margaret,  smothering  a  sigh, 
turned  to  her  \vork-basket,  and  fell  to  hemming  industri 
ously. 

But  by  the  time  the  major  had  made  his  bow,  and 
assured  Prudence,  in  answer  to  her  profuse  inquiries,  that 
he  was  in  the  best  of  health,  a  sunbeam  falling  in  a 
straight  line  across  the  sanded  floor  told  that  it  was  high 
noon,  and  promptly  at  the  moment  Ilagar  announced 
that  dinner  was  ready.  Margaret  smiled  to  herself  to 
see  how  cleverly  her  aunt  had  arranged  it  all ;  but  the 
y6ung  man  protested  that  he  had  already  overtaxed  their 
hospitality. 

"  Nay,  nay,  friend,"  said  the  old  Quaker,  in  no  haste 
to  part  with  this  gentle  guest,  "  the  breaking  of  bread 
together  is  the  seal  of  friendship  ;  "  and  the  major  waited 
for  no  further  urging. 

Shortly  after  their  return  to  the  keeping-room,  Betty 
Osgood  came  in,  and  a  little  later  the  Mulford  girls. 
If  they  had  any  inkling  that  the  young  major  was  there, 
none  of  them  betrayed  it.  They  were  dying  of  lone- 


THE    YOUNG   MAJOR.  309 

liness,  Amy  declared,  the  village  was  so  utterly  de 
serted. 

The  major  was  not  at  all  abashed.  He  had  a  strong 
liking  for  domestic  life,  and  a  marvellous  ease  in  adapt 
ing  himself  to  his  surroundings  ;  and  soon,  with  this  bevy 
of  fair  maids  for  an  audience,  he  was  giving  an  animated 
description  of  that  fantastic  fete,  the  Mischianza,  that 
had  been  held  in  Philadelphia  the  previous  May,  in 
honor  of  Lord  Howe  on  his  departure  for  England.  It 
was  like  a  tale  from  fairy  lore,  his  vivid  account  of  the 
tournament  and  regatta,  and  the  gay  pageant  of  the 
"Knights  and  Ladies  of  the  Blended  Rose;"  nor  did 
he  omit'to  picture  the  lovely  Peggy  Chew,  for  whom  he 
himself  had  played  the  knight ;  and  the  girls,  listening 
entranced,  forgot  for  the  time  that  the  chief  actors  were 
redcoats  and  Tories. 

But  after  the  guests  were  gone  Margaret  took  herself 
relentlessly  to  task  for  having  hearkened  with  such  pleas 
ure  to  the  recital ;  it  seemed  so  like  disloyalty  to  the  brave 
men  who  at  the  very  time  that  these  mocking  revels  were 
in  progress  were  undergoing  hardships  more  cruel  than 
death.  And  this  young  officer,  refined  and  fascinating 
as  he  was,  what  was  he  in  comparison  with  Lodowick? 
O  Lodowick  !  Lodowick  !  Oh,  but  to  know  where  he 
was  !  to  have  some  word  telling  her  that  he  was  still 
alive ! 

That  evening  Colonel  Gardiner  came  to  the  door. 

"  Nathaniel  is  home,"  he  said  in  an  undertone  to  Mar 
garet,  who  chanced  to  be  the  first  to  meet  him.  "  But 
with  British  officers  in  the  house  we  don't  dare  to  let  him 


310  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

show  himself  now  that  he  has  entered  the  army,  lest  he 
be  taken  for  a  spy.  He  might  better  have  waited,"  he 
added  vaguely. 

Margaret  caught  her  breath. 

"Why  not  have  him  come  to  us?  I  am  sure  it  would 
be  safer." 

"  No,  it  is  only  for  a  day  or  two,  and  the  risk  would 
be  equally  great.  I  wanted  merely  to  put  you  on  your 
guard  in  case  any  one  should  happen  to  speak  to  you  of 
his  being  here." 

Shortly  afterward  Margaret,  who  had  lingered  on  the 
porch,  heard  some  one  calling  softly  to  her  from  the 
shadow  of  the  hedge. 

"  Nathaniel  !  "  she  cried  in  a  whisper.  "  What  made 
you  come?  " 

"  Because  I  wanted  to  see  the  folks  —  and  you  —  be 
fore  beginning  my  work,"  said  the  young  surgeon. 
"Do  you  know  that  I  am  in  the  army?" 

"Yes,  and  I  congratulate  you;  but  it  makes  your 
visit  too  perilous,  I'm  afraid,  for  your  friends  to  enjoy 
it.  O  Nathaniel,  how  merciless  war  is  !  And  no  pros 
pect  yet  of  peace." 

"Courage,  little  twin!"  he  said,  detecting  the  catch 
in  her  voice;  "  peace  may  be  nearer  than  we  think.  I 
saw  your  friend  Betsy  Dering  the  other  day.  Mr.  Der- 
ing,  as  perhaps  you  know,  has  taken  his  family  to  Con 
necticut  ;  and  when  peace  comes  —  I  wonder  if  you  have 
heard?  —  Betsy  has  promised  to  be  my  wife." 

"  Oh,  I  am  glad  !  "  said  the  girl,  giving  him  both  her 
hands.  "  God  grant  peace  may  come  soon  !  " 


THE    YOUNG   MAJOR.  311 

"God  grant  it  indeed!"  responded  the  young  man 
fervently.  "O  Margaret,  to  see  what  our  brave  sol 
diers  are  enduring !  to  see  how  patiently  the  sick  and 
wounded  suffer  !  to  see  with  what  fortitude  you  of  the 
East  End  are  bearing  trials  that  are  a  daily  martyrdom  ! 
God  grant  it  may  come  soon  !  And  I  begin  to  think 
that  it  is  not  far  off ;  for  while  in  some  quarters  the  Brit 
ish  troops  are  making  headway,  in  others  they  are  suf 
fering  sore  defeat,  and  the  feeling  seems  to  be  gaining 
ofround  that  England  will  never  be  able  to  subdue 
the  colonies  by  force  of  arms.  Sir  William  Erskine, 
it  is  said,  is  so  fully  persuaded  of  the  injustice  of  'the 
treatment  we  are  receiving  at  her  hands  that  he 
has  determined  to  resign  his  commission  and  go 
home.  I  was  hoping  to  meet  Major  Andre,  every 
one  seems  so  taken  with  him ;  but  as  he  is  aide-de 
camp  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  father  thinks  it  would  not 
be  prudent." 

"Perhaps  he  is  right,"  answered  Margaret  slowly. 
"The  major  is  very  friendly;  but  he  is  also  intensely 
loyal,  and  it  is  hard  to  tell  to  what  lengths  his  zeal 
might  carry  him»" 

"  Oh  !  it  will  doubtless  be  wiser  for  me  to  keep  out  of 
his  way.  I  go  back  to-morrow  night.  Good-by,  little 
twin.  God  keep  you  and  yours  !  " 

Margaret  peered  over  the  hedge  as  he  vanished,  and 
strained  her  ear  for  any  sound  that  might  indicate  dan 
ger  ;  but  the  street  was  dark  and  silent. 

On  the  porch  she  found  her  grandfather  waiting  for 
her.  But  it  was  not  until  they  had  reached  his  room, 


312  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

and  closed  the  door  behind  them,  that  she  ventured  to 
tell  him  of  Nathaniel's  visit. 

"  Thou  wert  wise  not  to  encourage  him  to  meet  the 
young  major,"  he  said.  "When  one  ventures  within 
the  enemy's  lines,  it  is  well  to  be  cautious." 


GOLDEN  FLEECE.  313 


CHAPTER   XXXVII. 

GOLDEN    FLEECE. 

THERE  had  been  very  little  planting  done  that  spring, 
the  horses  and  oxen  having  been  appropriated  by 
the  British  in  such  numbers  that  there  were  not  enough 
left  to  perform  the  necessary  labor.  Besides,  it  had  come 
to  pass  that  so  large  a  share  of  the  harvest  was  demanded 
by  the  enemy  that  no  one  had  the  heart  to  make  an  ef 
fort  to  raise  anything  more  than  was  absolutely  needed 
for  family  use.  Many  of  the  best  farms  were  suffered  to 
run  to  weeds  ;  and  often  those  under  cultivation  were  laid 
waste  by  the  foe,  for  the  latter  stopped  for  neither  fence 
nor  hedge.  The  flax-fields  fared  no  better  than  the  rest ; 
and  this,  with  the  deficiency  of  wool  —  owing  to  the  sacri 
ficing  of  the  sheep  to  the  redcoats'  love  of  mutton  —  made 
a  disheartening  prospect  for  the  spinners  and  weavers. 

"  Only  see,  grandpa,  what  a  mere  handful,"  said 
Margaret  one  morning,  looking  ruefully  at  the  scant 
supply  of  wool  that  had  resulted  from  the  spring  shear 
ing.  "  If  the  same  scarcity  prevails  throughout  the 
country,  what  will  our  poor  soldiers  do  for  clothing?  " 

"  Have  faith,  little  one.  'Consider  the  lilies."'  And 
then,  seeing  that  she  was  about  to  seat  herself  at  the 
wheel,  he  asked,  "  Why  not  go  into  the  garden?  " 


314  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  It  would  be  pleasanter,"  she  said,  hesitantly,  "  if 
we  could  be  sure  of  not  being  interrupted  again." 

"  We  can  be  sure  of  nothing  ;  but  I  will  take  my  book, 
and  keep  thee  company." 

Whereupon  Margaret  yielded  willingly  ;  for  there  was 
a  chill  in  the  house,  while  outside  the  air  was  as  soft  as 
summer. 

For  nearly  an  hour  her  wheel  had  been  humming 
steadily,  the  only  interruption  being  an  occasional  re 
quest  from  her  grandfather  that  she  would  hearken  to  a 
passage  from  the  book  he  was  reading.  It  was  a  much- 
worn  copy  of  Shakespeare ;  and  Margaret,  whose  love 
for  the  poet  matched  his  own,  was  always  ready  to  listen. 
But  suddenly  he  broke  off  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence  : 
and  Margaret,  turning  to  see  why  he  had  stopped,  beheld 
Major  Andre  and  Lieutenant  Burton  standing  at  the 
little  gate  between  the  palings. 

"  We  beg  you  not  to  send  us  adrift,"  entreated  the 
major,  holding  out  his  hand  with  that  winning  frankness 
that  made  him  everywhere  a  favorite.  "  We  are  two 
lone  Argonauts  in  search  of  the  Golden  Fleece,  and  we 
know  not  where  else  to  find  it." 

The  old  Quaker  extended  a  cordial  greeting,  but 
Margaret  looked  on  with  grave  eyes. 

"It  is  a  vain  quest,"  she  said.  "The  enemy  have 
robbed  us  of  our  sheep,  and  left  us  scarce  wool  enough 
for  our  needs ;  they  have  broken  down  our  hedges,  and 
spoiled  our  fields,  and  made  the  whole  land  desolate." 

The  seriousness  of  her  answer  disconcerted  the  young 
man.  Personally  he  was  not  conscious  of  the  slightest 


GOLDEN  FLEECE.  3  I  5 

ill-will  toward  the  Americans  —  least  of  all  toward  these 
independent  but  courteous  people  of  the  East  End,  with 
their  quaint  old  homes,  and  their  equally  quaint  old 
English  ways ;  and  surely  in  all  England  there  was 
nothing  fairer  and  fresher  than  these  Island  maidens. 

"  Margaret  is  right,"  responded  her  grandfather. 
"  Our  fleece  has  become  golden  through  its  scarcity. 
But  we  harbor  no  bitterness  toward  those  who  feel  that 
they  are  doing  God  service  in  serving  the  king." 

'  The  young  men  bowed  gravely  in  acknowledgment  of 
this  gracious  implication. 

"  It  is  our  misfortune,"  said  the  major,  deprecatingly, 
''that  we  are  forced  to  appear  among  you  as  enemies. 
When  once  this  difference  is  adjusted  you  will  find  us 
the  warmest  of  friends." 

"It  will  be  a  happy  day,"  said  the  old  Quaker. 
Then  with  ready  tact  he  began  to  speak  of  Shake 
speare,  and  the  young  men  responded  with  hearty 
appreciation. 

"Still,  there  are  some  very  good  things  outside  of 
Shakespeare,"  ventured  Lieutenant  Burton,  looking 
bashfully  at  Margaret.  "There  is  the  ballad  of  'Chevy 
Chase,'  for  instance.  Aw,  but  you  should  hear  the 
major  recite  it.  He  entertained  Colonel  Gardiner  and 
his  family  with  it  one  evening  not  long  ago,  and  they 
applauded  him  without  stint.1  Come,  major  !  " 

"  Oh,  not  to-day  !  "  protested  Andre.  But  when  Mar 
garet  expressed  a  wish  to  hear  it  he  relented  ;  and  pres 
ently  the  magnetic  voice  was  holding  them  spellbound. 

1  This  recitation  of  (;  Chevy  Chase  "  is  a  well-established  fact. 


316  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Thank  you,  Major  Andre,"  said  Margaret,  breaking 
the  breathless  hush.  "  It  is  a  grand  poem  ;  but  how  un 
speakably  sad.  So  many  brave  men  bathed  in  purple 
blood,  so  many  women  widowed,  so  many  little  ones 
made  fatherless,  and  all  for  one  man's  greed  !  "  And 
with  misty  eyes  she  turned,  and  busied  herself  with  her 
wheel. 

"  Ay,  it  was  truly  '  a  woful  hunting,'  "  said  her  grand 
father  ;  "and  men  would  do  well  to  heed  the  lesson  it 
teaches,  so  vain  and  impious  is  it  to  trv  to  settle  a  wrong 
with  the  shedding  of  blood.  A  blessed  day  it  will  be 
when  swords  shall  be  beaten  into  ploughshares,  and 
spears  into  pruning-hooks.'' 

"Ay,  indeed,"  responded  Andre  heartily;  "and  none 
so  long  for  its  coming  as  those  who  are  forced  to  lead  a 
soldier's  life. 

'  To  drive  the  deer  with  hound  and  horn ' 

is  much  more  to  our  liking,  and  it  grieves  me  that  so 
soon  I  must  turn  my  back  on  this  fair  Province.  I  go 
to-morrow." 

"  Sir  William,  too,  goes  shortly,"  said  Lieutenant 
Burton,  when  Margaret  and  her  grandfather  had  ex 
pressed  their  regret;  "  and  then  the  rest  of  us  must  say 
farewell." 

"Ay,  and  the  general  is  no  less  loath  to  leave  than 
we  are,"  added  Andre.  "lie  has  fallen  mightily  in 
love  with  this  part  of  the  Island.  He  says  that  it  is  the 
garden  spot  of  America,  and  that  when  the  war  is 
ended  he  is  coming  back  to  have  his  country-seat  on 


GOLDEN  FLEECE.  31 7 

the  wooded  hills  yonder  that  overlook  the  ocean.1  I 
fancy  I  should  not  mind  having  one  there  myself;  and 
who  knows  but  I  may,  some  of  these  days,  if  fortune 
favors  me." 

"With  Miss  Peggy  Chew  for  its  mistress,  perhaps," 
said  Margaret,  smilingly. 

"  Miss  Peggy  is  one  that  you  would  like  for  a  neigh 
bor,  I  am  sure  of  that,"  answered  Andre  quickly,  his 
eyes  beaming;  "  and  I  am  equally  sure  that  the  liking 
wfculd  be  mutual.  Oh  !  indeed  I  mean  to  return,"  he 
went  on.  "  Our  host,  the  colonel,  has  exchanged  wine 
glasses  with  me,  and  at  no  distant  day  I  trust  we  may 
drink  again  to  each  other's  health."2 

"Have  you  met  his  son?"  asked  Margaret,  tenta 
tively. 

"No;  and  I  regret  it.  He  was  home  on  a  visit  a 
short  time  since,  as  perhaps  you  know ;  but  owing  to  our 
relative  positions,  though  aware  that  he  was  there,  I  had 
to  forego  the  pleasure  of  an  introduction.  If  ever  again 
we  are  under  the  same  roof,  I  trust  the  time  and  place 
will  be  more  favorable  for  our  becoming  acquainted." 

And  then  with  kindliest  wishes  he  bade  them  fare 
well  ;  and  to  none  of  them  came  any  foreshadowing  of 
the  tragedy  that  was  to  bring  about  the  meeting  between 
him  and  Nathaniel. 

"  Oh,  the  pity  of  it !  "  sighed  Margaret,  "  that  friendly 
as  he  is  we  must  still  count  him  an  enemy  !  " 

"  Grandpa,"  said  she  that  evening,  "  I  have  a  plan  to 

1  It  is  said  that  this  was  truly  General  Erskine's  plan. 

2  Major  Andre's  wineglass  is  still  in  the  Gardiner  family. 


31 8  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

propose.  General  Erskine  is  so  kind  —  so  different 
from  General  Tryon  —  it  has  come  to  me  that  perhaps, 
if  he  knew  about  father  and  Lodowick,  if  they  are  still 
in  prison  —  and  surely  had  they  been  set  free  we  should 
have  heard  of  it — he  would  be  willing'  to  intercede 
with  Sir  Henry  Clinton  for  their  release." 

The  old  man  shook  his  head.  "  I'm  afraid  it  would 
be  useless  to  ask  it,  little  one.  War  has  its  usages,  and 
it  is  not  often  that  a  soldier  is  released  except  in  ex 
change." 

But  the  idea  had  taken  so  firm  a  hold  that  she  was 
unwilling  to  give  it  up.  She  would  at  least,  she  deter 
mined,  consult  Priest  Buell. 

"  It  is  a  forlorn  hope,  my  child,"  was  the  minister's 
answer,  when  she  appealed  to  him  ;  but  he  lost  no  time 
in  presenting  the  matter  to  Sir  William. 

"  I  doubt  if  it  would  be  of  any  avail,"  said  the  gen 
eral,  "  at  least  until  something  more  definite  is  known. 
But  I  will  gladly  give  the  young  lady  and  her  grand 
father  safe  conduct,  if  they  wish  to  go  to  the  city  to 
make  inquiries.  Some  of  my  men,  with  Lieutenant  Bur 
ton  in  command,  start  two  days  hence,  and  they  need 
have  no  fear  in  trusting  themselves  to  their  care." 

The  old  man  sat  silent  for  a  time  when  Priest  Buell 
had  reported  Sir  William's  answer.  It  was  too  weighty 
a  matter  to  be  settled  in  any  "  unheedy  haste." 

"  We  must  wait  for  the  Indwelling  Light  to  guide  us," 
he  said. 

But  Margaret,  who  in  her  impatience  would  fain  have 
made  "  the  wind  her  post-horse,"  felt  that  guidance  had 


GOLDEN  FLEECE.  319 

already  been  given.  Her  Uncle  Erastus,  though  an 
ardent  Whig,  had  been  forced  to  remain  in  New  York, 
having  been  bedridden  for  years  through  injuries  re 
ceived  in  lighting  England's  battles  in  the  French  and 
Indian  war;  and  she  and  her  grandfather,  on  reach 
ing  the  city,  would  go  at  once  to  his  house.  The  plan 
seemed  practicable ;  and  though  the  old  man  saw  lions 
in  the  way  that  Margaret  did  not  dream  of,  his  own  im 
patience  for  tidings  made  it  an  easy  matter  for  her  to 
pe/suade  him. 

A  carriage  that  Sir  William  sometimes  used  was  put 
at  their  service  ;  and  as  Lord  Lion  and  old  Vic  were 
hardly  equal  to  so  long  a  journey,  two  stout  roadsters 
were  provided. 

"  It's  a  wild-goose  chase  you  are  starting  on,"  said 
Prudence;  "  but  you  are  sensible  to  put  yourself  under 
such  protection.  I  only  wish  I  were  going  myself. 
They  say  that  anybody  that  has  a  permit,  and  is  known 
to  be  a  loyal  citizen,  can  get  almost  anything  he  wants 
in  the  city;  and  I  should  enjoy  having  a  chance  to  buy 
something  once  more.  If  you  are  wise  you  will  provide 
yourself  with  a  permit  as  soon  as  you  arrive  ;  and  here 
is  a  list  of  things  that  I  want  you  to  get  me.  I  am  out 
of  everything  in  the  way  of  wearing  apparel ;  not  so 
much  as  a  yard  of  new  ribbon  have  I  had  since  this 
iniquitous  rebellion  began,  except  the  piece  I  bought  of 
that  peddler,  you  remember,  who  promised  to  bring  me 
the  lavender  silk  to  match  it,  and  never  showed  himself 
again.  Do  be  careful,  when  you  get  the  cap,  to  have 
them  put  it  in  a  good  stiff  box." 


320  AN  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

Margaret  took  the  list  without  answering.  She  was 
thinking  of  the  peddler,  and  of  Lodowick. 

And  then  the  carriage  drew  up  at  the  gate,  followed 
by  Lieutenant  Burton  and  his  men  in  their  brilliant 
uniforms. 

"O  Meg!  but  I  envy  you,"  whispered  Betty,  with  a 
parting  kiss. 

Meg  shook  her  head  sorrowfully. 

"Ah,  Betty!  you  forget  how  sad  our  errand  is." 
But  Betty  was  courtesying  to  the  young  lieutenant,  who, 
having  caught  sight  of  her  at  the  moment,  was  making 
his  best  bow. 


A  HOPELESS   QUEST.  321 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

A    HOPELESS    QUEST. 

the  land   is  desolate!"    mourned  the  old 
±       Quaker,  looking  out  at  the  untilled  fields,  the 
denuded    woodlands,    the    deserted    homes,    the    broken 
hedges  and  fences ;   and  the  farther  westward  they  jour 
neyed,  the  more  hopeless  seemed  the  devastation. 

The  road  lay  over  the  Shinnecock  Hills  ;  and  even  in 
these  fastnesses  the  work  of  the  enemy  was  apparent, 
vast  numbers  of  the  grand  old  trees  that  had  crowned  their 
windy  heights  for  ages  having  been  cut  down  for  fuel.  But 
no  requisition  of  the  invader  had  been  able  to  lessen  the 
grandeur  of  the  sea,  nor  to  defraud  the  travellers  of  the 
salt  fragrance  that  a  soft  south  wind  was  wafting  inland. 
It  was  an  uneventful  journey.  The  lieutenant,  riding 
beside  the  carriage,  was  tireless  in  his  attentions  ;  but  it 
was  seldom  that  he  succeeded  in  bringing  a  smile  to  the 
sad  dark  eyes  at  the  window.  Margaret,  however,  was 
not  unmindful  of  his  kindness  ;  and  more  than  once,  when 
he  had  been  exerting  himself  to  make  her  and  her  grand 
father  comfortable,  she  thanked  him  with  a  cordiality  so 
frank  and  sweet  that  he  was  almost  tempted  to  forswear 
his  allegiance  to  King  George  for  the  sake  of  this  fair 
young  rebel. 


322  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

The  second  night  was  spent  at  a  country  inn  near 
Jamaica ;  and  Margaret  shuddered  when  she  recalled 
that  it  was  here  that  the  brave  Woodhull  was  so  bru 
tally  mangled  by  his  captors  for  saying,  "  God  save  us 
all,"  when  they  ordered  him  to  say  "  God  save  the 
king." 

There  was  a  heavy  shower  during  the  evening,  but 
the  next  morning  the  skies  were  clear,  and  when  they 
drove  into  the  city  the  sun  was  doing  its  best  to  make 
things  cheerful ;  but  the  brilliant  light  served  only  to 
emphasize  the  blight  and  ruin  that  had  taken  the  place 
of  that  proud  prosperity  that  so  short  a  time  before  had 
made  New  York  the  queen  of  colonial  commerce. 

The  old  man,  who  had  leaned  forward  eagerly  for  a 
look  at  the  once  familiar  streets,  drew  back  with  a  sigh 
of  disappointment. 

"Would  God  there  had  been  some  other  way  to 
peace  !  "  he  said,  wearily. 

Since  the  beginning  of  the  war  they  had  had  no  tid 
ings  from  Erastus  Neale ;  and  Lieutenant  Burton,  still 
solicitous  for  their  comfort,  insisted  on  taking  them  to 
Fraunces's  Tavern,  to  wait  until  he  could  make  inquiries. 

"It  is  possible  that  there  may  be  other  guests  in 
the  house,"  he  said,  in  answer  to  Margaret's  protest. 
"Likely  as  not  a  dozen  Hessian  devils,"  he  muttered  to 
himself,  putting  spurs  to  his  horse;  "  and  fine  company 
they  would  be  for  my  Lady  Margaret." 

He  was  gone  scarcely  an  hour,  but  to  Margaret  it 
seemed  a  day. 

"It  was  as  I  feared,"  he  said.      "A  number  of  sol- 


A  HOPELESS   QUEST.  323 

diers  had  been  billeted  on  the  family ;  but  we  found 
lodgings  for  some  of  them  elsewhere,  and  your  friends 
are  expecting  you." 

And  when  he  had  seen  them  welcomed  by  Mrs.  Neale 
herself,  nothing  but  the  necessity  of  reporting  at  once  to 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who,  with  his  staff,  was  absent  from 
the  city,  kept  him  from  offering  to  be  their  escort  in 
visiting  the  prisons. 

"  I  think  that  can  be  easily  managed,"  said  Mrs. 
Neale,  as  she  led  Margaret  to  her  room.  "  Our  neigh 
bor,  Mrs.  Whetten,  has  access  to  all  the  prisons,  and  will 
be  very  glad  to  take  you  with  her.  She  and  her  daugh 
ters,  and  many  other  of  the  New  York  women,  spend 
most  of  their  time  in  preparing  food  and  clothing  for  the 
suffering  patriots.  Captain  Cunningham  says  that  they 
are  the  worst  rebels  in  the  country.  Deborah  Franklin 
the  Quakeress  has  been  banished  from  the  city  for  her 
devotion  to  the  cause." 

"  One  might  be  proud  of  such  a  banishment,"  cried 
Margaret. 

In  her  impatience  she  could  scarcely  wait  to  recover 
from  the  fatigue  of  the  journey.  But  Mrs.  Neale  was 
wiser. 

"Rest  to-day,"  she  said;  "to-morrow  will  be  time 
enough  to  begin  our  search." 

Her  grandfather  had  meanwhile  been  discussing  mat 
ters  with  her  uncle. 

"  It  has  been  a  dreary  time  for  our  hapless  city,"  said 
the  old  soldier,  raising  himself  on  his  pillow.  "  In 
March  provisions  were  so  scarce  that  the  British  them- 


324  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

selves  were  reduced  to  extremities ;  and  had  Washing 
ton's  forces  only  known  it,"  he  added,  lowering  his 
voice,  "  they  might  have  made  an  easy  conquest.  In 
fact,  the  British  were  almost  on  the  point  of  surrender 
ing  to  escape  starvation.  The  timely  arrival  of  several 
victualling  ships  was  all  that  saved  them.  It  was  a 
hard  time  for  the  citizens,  and  doubly  so,  I  fear,  for 
our  poor  prisoners." 

"  Dost  thou  think  it  will  be  of  any  use  for  Margaret 
to  undertake  this  search?  " 

Neale  shook  his  head. 

"  I  should  be  loath  to  discourage  the  child,  but  I  doubt 
if  Aaron  is  living.  We  have  made  many  inquiries 
through  Mrs.  Whetten  and  other  friends,  but  nothing 
has  come  of  them  ;  and  perhaps  it  will  be  well  to  warn 
her  not  to  be  over  hopeful." 

But  Margaret  started  out  on  her  quest  with  the  confi 
dent  courage  of  youth.  Her  grandfather  had  intended 
to  go  with  her;  but  her  uncle  assured  him  that  Mrs. 
Whetten  was  quite  sufficient  for  an  escort,  and  added 
that  as  a  rule  it  was  an  easier  matter  for  women  to  gain 
access  to  the  prisoners  than  for  men. 


DUNGEONS   Ob'  DESPAIR.  325 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

DUNGEONS    OF    DESPAIR. 

THE  Sugar  House  on  Liberty  Street  was  their  first 
Mecca.  It  was  a  dark  stone  building  five  stories 
high,  with  heavily  barred  windows  and  a  massive,  jail- 
like  door,  while  a  solid  board  fence  nine  feet  in  height 
enclosed  the  yard.  Two  brutal-looking  Hessians  who 
were  on  duty  stared  boldly  at  the  young  visitor,  but  she 
was  too  preoccupied  to  notice  them. 

Was  it  possible,  she  was  saying  to  herself,  that  her 
father  and  Lodowick  were  shut  within  those  dismal 
walls? 

"  Will  they  let  us  in?  "  she  whispered. 

Her  friend,  with  a  silent  negative,  led  the  way  to  a 
guard-house  near  by ;  and  here,  at  a  window  that  over 
looked  the  prison  yard,  a  friendly  sergeant  permitted 
them  to  seat  themselves. 

Below,  in  small  companies,  the  prisoners  were  press 
ing  out  from  their  loathsome  cells  and  dungeons  for  their 
meagre  dole  of  fresh  air.  But  it  was  hard  to  believe 
that  these  ghastly  objects  were  living  men.  They  were 
more  like  galvanized  bodies  of  the  dead  stepping  forth 
from  a  charnel  house.  Margaret  covered  her  face  with 
her  hands  to  shut  out  the  baleful  sight.  But  at  that  very 


326  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

moment,  she  reflected,  Lodowick  or  her  father  might  be 
passing ;  and  with  a  shudder  she  forced  herself  to  look 
again. 

Some  of  the  men  recognized  Mrs.  Whetten,  she  was 
so  frequent  a  visitor  ;  and  it  was  pitiful  to  see  them  try  to 
force  a  smile  as  they  went  by.  She  had  brought  a  large 
basket  of  cookies ;  and  now  and  then,  as  she  dropped 
the  cakes  into  the  outstretched  hands,  the  poor  fellows 
would  stop  to  exchange  a  word  or  two  with  their  motherly 
benefactress.  And  whenever  this  occurred  Margaret 
would  ask  with  bated  breath  whether  there  were  any 
among  them  from  the  East  End.  But  no  one  seemed 
able  to  give  a  definite  answer ;  and  the  sergeant,  on 
being  questioned,  proved  no  wiser  than  the  prisoners. 

"  If  your  friends  were  captured  off  land  they've  prob 
ably  been  taken  to  one  of  the  prison  ships,''  he  said; 
"  and  if  they're  there,  God  pity  'em  !  " 

"  They  were  on  board  a  privateer,"  she  said,  her  face 
blanching. 

The  sergeant  looked  at  her  pityingly.  "Then  I'm 
afraid  there's  no  hope  of  finding  them  on  land." 

But  she  felt  that  there  was  at  least  a  possibility  of 
their  having  been  thrown  into  some  of  the  city  prisons, 
and  she  could  not  be  content  to  leave  any  of  them  un- 
visited.  Mrs.  Whetten  went  with  her  to  the  old  Provost, 
and  to  the  grewsome  dungeons  under  the  City  Hall ;  but 
the  answer  was  always  the  same. 

One  morning,  going  a  little  earlier  than  usual  to  the 
Sugar  House,  they  beheld  a  sight  that  made  Margaret 
clutch  her  friend's  arm  to  keep  from  falling,  for  the 


DUNGEONS   OF  DESPAIR.  327 

faintness  that  came  over  her.  The  dead-cart,  going  its 
rounds,  had  halted  at  the  door ;  and  four  dead  soldiers 
were  being  tossed  in  like  logs  of  wood. 

"O  brave  martyrs!"  she  moaned.  "Patriots  who 
have  given  their  lives  for  their  country  !  Surely  God 
will  avenge  their  wrongs.  But  I  cannot  believe  that 
Christian  England  sanctions  this  treatment  of  her  chil 
dren.  If  I  could,  I  should  blush  for  every  drop  of  Eng 
lish  blood  in  my  veins." 

/'Alas,"  said  Mrs.  Whetten,  "England  is  like  too 
many  another  mother !  She  shifts  the  responsibility 
upon  hirelings,  and  then  wonders  that  her  children  do 
not  rise  up  and  call  her  blessed." 

The  following  morning  an  impenetrable  fog  kept  them 
housed.  There  were  but  two  days  left,  as  Lieutenant 
Burton  and  his  squad  expected  to  set  out  for  the  East 
End  the  ensuing  Monday,  and  Margaret  was  on  the 
verge  of  despair. 

"  Surely  there  must  be  somewhere  a  record  of  the 
names  of  the  prisoners,"  she  said. 

"No  accurate  one,  I'm  afraid,  child,"  answered  her 
uncle,  "  except  that  kept  by  the  recording  angel ;  none  at 
least  to  which  in  these  troublous  times  we  can  gain  access." 

A  visit  to  the  prison  ships  was  now  her  only  hope  ; 
and  when  on  Saturday  morning  Mrs.  Whetten  and  her 
daughters  called  for  her  to  go  with  them  to  the  Wal- 
labout,  she  determined  to  make  the  most  of  the  oppor 
tunity. 

"We  have  a  quantity  of  food  for  the  prisoners,"  said 
Mrs.  Whetten ;  "  and  as  one  of  the  officers  always  comes 


328  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

ashore  in  the  boat  sent  to  receive  the  supplies,  we  may 
possibly  have  a  chance  to  make  some  inquiries." 

"Perhaps,"  said  Margaret,  eagerly,  "we  might  pre 
vail  on  him  to  take  us  in  the  boat  with  the  provisions." 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  no  !  "  protested  Mrs.  Whetten.  "Even 
if  it  were  allowed,  it  would  not  be  prudent.  Fever  and 
small-pox  are  prevailing  on  board  the  ships,  and  you 
\Vould  be  risking  your  life." 

But  love  makes  light  of  risks  ;  and  when,  on  reaching 
the  Wallabout,  she  saw  the  black  hulks  lying  like  huge 
coffins  on  the  sullen  waves,  the  desire  to  board  them  so 
overmastered  her  that  she  hailed  a  young  negro,  who 
was  idling  in  a  rowboat  near  the  shore,  and  begged  him 
to  carry  her  across. 

The  boy  eyed  greedily  the  two  silver  shillings  that  she 
held  out  to  him,  hesitated,  and  was  about  to  yield,  when 
the  boat  sent  to  take  charge  of  Mrs.  Whetten's  baskets 
pulled  ashore. 

There  were  two  men  in  the  boat,  one  of  them  being 
one  of  the  ship's  officers  and  the  other  a  prisoner  de 
tailed  to  do  the  rowing ;  and  as  soon  as  they  landed, 
Mrs.  Whetten  began  to  question  them. 

"  A  man  by  the  name  of  Neale,  who  was  brought 
on  board  our  ship  not  long  ^go,"  Margaret  heard  the 
prisoner  saying,  "  was  knocked  overboard  yesterday. 
I  don't  know  what  his  other  name  was." 

"  We  lowered  a  boat,  and  tried  to  save  the  poor  wretch," 
added  the  officer,  with  indifferent  interest;  "  but  he  went 
down  like  a  stone,  and  there  was  such  a  nasty  fog  that 
there  was  no  telling  where  to  look  for  him." 


DUNGEONS   OF  DESPAIR.  329 

Margaret  waited  for  no  further  parley  with  the  boy. 

"  Was  he  a  middle-aged  man?  "  she  inquired  breath 
lessly. 

"  Age  doesn't  count  by  years  on  board  those  British 
hells,"  answered  the  prisoner  in  an  undertone,  the  officer 
having  turned  to  give  directions  to  Mrs.  Whetten's  man 
in  regard  to  the  hampers.  "  Men  who  join  us  in  the 
prime  of  life  become  aged  in  a  night." 

"  Was  there  any  one  there  by  the  name  of  Brewster?  " 
she  ventured  to  ask.  And  when  he  answered  that  he 
knew  of  none,  she  begged  to  be  taken  over,  that  she 
might  make  inquiries  for  herself. 

"For  God's  sake  don't  think  of  it!"  he  said,  in  a 
husky  whisper.  "  An  angel  might  step  down  into  hell 
and  escape  going  mad  ;  but  there  are  sights  and  sounds 
on  yonder  vessels  that  would  make  your  brain  reel,  child. 
No,  no,  you  couldn't  bear  it,  even  if  you  had  leave 
to  go." 

The  officer  was  calling  to  him,  but  he  lingered  for  one 
more  word. 

"  If  the  man  that  went  overboard  was  the  Neale  you 
are  seeking,  take  this  to  comfort  you  :  he  knczu  how  to 
swim?"1 

The  bro\vn  eyes  beamed  on  him  gratefully.  It  was 
only  a  straw  ;  but  she  caught  at  it,  and  took  courage.  If 
it  were  indeed  her  father,  she  needed  none  to  tell  her 
that  he  was  as  much  at  home  in  the  water  as  on  land ; 
she  had  too  often  seen  him  dash  into  the  surf,  and  swim 
out  beyond  the  breakers.  And  yet,  even  if  he  gained 
the  shore  alive,  howr  could  he  escape  being  retaken? 


33Q  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

She  was  still  vexing  her  brain  with  the  hopeless  prob 
lem  when  she  reached  her  uncle's  house. 

Her  aunt  met  her  at  the  door.  "  There's  a  man  here 
with  vegetables  to  sell,  and  he  says  he  has  seen  your 
father,"  she  said,  starting  to  lead  the  way  to  the  kitchen. 
But  Margaret  was  there  before  her. 

An  old  man  was  bending  over  a  basket  from  which 
black  Chloe  was  selecting  a  supply  of  lettuce  and 
radishes. 

"We  may  as  well  take  the  whole  of  them,  Chloe,'' 
said  her  mistress,  opening  her  purse. 

"  La,  yez'm  !  Them  rab'nous  sogers'll  gobble  'em 
down  in  no  time,"  answered  the  cook;  and  having  emp 
tied  the  vegetables  into  another  basket,  she  took  them  at 
once  to  the  cellar. 

"  Hide  me,  Margaret,"  whispered  the  man.  And 
when  Chloe  came  back,  she  found  the  kitchen  deserted. 


THE  PRISONER'S  STORY.  331 


CHAPTER   XL. 
THE  PRISONER'S  STORY. 

A  LITTLE  later,  in  the  invalid's  room,  with  bolted 
L  \.  doors  and  close-drawn  curtains,  Aaron  Neale,  di 
vested  of  his  gray  wig  and  grizzly  beard,  related  in  cau 
tious  tones  his  marvellous  escape.  To  those  that  listened 
to  him  it  was  like  the  story  of  one  risen  from  the  dead, 
he  was  so  white  and  wasted. 

"  I  was  knocked  overboard  yesterday  by  one  of  the 
brutal  guards,"  he  said,  stopping  to  moisten  his  lips ; 
"  and  had  not  a  friendly  sailor  witnessed  the  act,  I 
doubt  if  any  effort  would  have  been  made  to  save  me. 
It  was  a  feeble  one  at  best,  for  which  I  was  thankful ;  I 
prayed  for  death  rather  than  have  them  drag  me  back  to 
that  foul  hell.  But  happily  I  was  not  hurt;  and  as  the 
fog  prevented  my  being  seen  when  I  came  to  the  surface, 
I  struck  out  at  once  for  shore.  Last  night  I  was  hidden 
in  Remsen's  mill ;  and  this  morning  our  good  friends 
gave  me  a  change  of  linen,  and  furnished  me  with  my 
disguise." 

"But  Lodowick,  father!  where  was  Lodowrick?" 
Margaret  faltered. 

"Ah,  child,  I  do  not  know.  He  could  have  escaped, 
as  some  of  the  others  succeeded  in  doing,  in  the  ship's 


332  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

boat,  from  the  privateer,  at  the  time  we  were  taken ; 
but  I  was  below,  not  knowing  our  danger,  and  finding 
that  I  was  missing,  he  rushed  back  to  call  me.  But  by 
the  time  we  got  on  deck  our  boat  had  cut  loose  on  the 
one  side,  and  the  enemy  was  boarding  us  on  the  other. 
We  were  separated  when  we  reached  the  Wallabout,  and 
I  have  never  seen  him  since.  But  don't  despair,  daugh 
ter.  An  uncertainty  always  leaves  room  for  hope,  and 
it  is  quite  possible  that  he  is  safe.  It  is  a  brave  record 
he  has  made.  Twice  at  the  risk  of  his  life  he  saved 
our  colors  from  being  captured,  and  has  been  three 
times  promoted.  If  still  a  prisoner,  he  would  surely 
have  found  some  way  to  let  me  know." 

•/ 

"And  hast  thou  had  no  news  of  John?"  asked  his 
father-in-law,  putting  an  arm  around  Margaret. 

"Not  since  my  imprisonment.  News  from  the  outer 
world  rarely  penetrates  those  charnel  houses.  My  God, 
my  God,  what  scenes  I  have  been  forced  to  witness  !  " 

He  buried  his  haggard  face  in  his  hands,  and  no  more 
questions  were  asked  till  he  lifted  it. 

"  There  are  no  words  that  can  portray  them,"  he  went 
on;  "and  the  mere  remembrance  is  enough  to  drive  one 
mad.  The  men,  crowded  by  hundreds  into  those  pest 
holes,  are  dying  as  if  smitten  with  the  plague  ;  and  their 
fiendish  keepers  have  nothing  for  them  but  taunts.  Surely 
if  there  were  never  before  a  hell,  God  Almighty  would 
create  one  for  the  punishment  of  those  who  are  inflicting 
these  hellish  tortures.  He  alone  knows  what  his  faith 
ful  ones  are  suffering  on  board  those  reeking  dens.  And 
never  did  men  suffer  more  heroically ;  for  any  moment 


THE  PRISONER'S  STORY.  333 

that  they  would  consent  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance 
they  would  be  set  free ;  and  yet,  with  this  temptation 
always  before  them,  they  go  on  day  after  day  and  month 
after  month  enduring  their  untold  torments.  Ah,  the 
world  has  never  seen  truer  patriots  !  " 

There  were  some  violets  on  the  table  beside  his 
brother's  bed,  and  catching  sight  of  them  he  stopped  to 
smell  them. 

"  Oh,  how  we  longed  for  land  !  "  he  said,  with  a  deep- 
Irawn  breath.  "  We  were  like  mariners  in  mid  ocean, 
o  far  away  seemed  the  fair,  green  earth.  Often  when 
the  dead-boat  came  to  carry  away  those  who  had  died 
during  the  night,  the  men  would  beg  leave  to  go  ashore  to 
help  bury  them,  just  for  the  joy  of  feeling  the  land  be 
neath  their  feet  again,  if  only  for  a  moment ;  and  once, 
I  remember,  one  of  them  brought  back  a  bit  of  green 
turf,  and  it  was  passed  from  hand  to  hand  as  if  it  had 
been  a  rose,  so  eager  were  we  to  touch  and  smell  it." 

He  stopped,  exhausted ;  and  Mrs.  Neale,  furtively 
drying  her  eyes,  hurried  down  to  the  kitchen  for  food. 

"  Ah,  it  is  good  to  see  something  fresh  and  clean  once 
more,"  he  said,  as  she  set  before  him  the  daintily  spread 
tray.  "  It  is  impossible  to  describe  to  you  the  place  and 
manner  in  which  our  meals  were  served  ;  and  the  meals 
themselves  !  why,  our  East  End  swine  have  better  fare." 
And  though  the  food  before  him  might  have  tempted 
an  epicure,  he  could  scarcely  do  more  than  taste  it,  so 
horrible  was  the  remembrance  of  what  he  had  passed 
through. 

Margaret  had  already  begun  to  plan  to  have  him  go 


334  IN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

home  with  them  ;  she  could  trust  the  lieutenant.  But  it 
was  soon  evident  that  he  was  not  strong  enough  to  en 
dure  the  journey,  and  then  she  begged  to  stay  to  nurse 
him.  It  was  a  daughter's  right,  she  urged.  Besides, 
it  seemed  to  her  that  here  there  was  still  a  possibility  of 
her  getting  tidings  of  Lodowick.  But  not  even  her  aunt 
approved  of  this,  glad  as  she  would  have  been  to  keep 
her  with  her. 

"  No,  no,  daughter,"  protested  her  father.  "  You  are 
safer  at  the  East  End  than  here.  And  as  soon  as  I  am 
able  to  travel  I  must  find  my  way  back  to  my  regiment. 
Every  man  is  needed  at  his  post." 

No  one  made  answer  to  this,  for  it  did  not  seem  to  any 
of  them  that  he  would  ever  again  be  fit  for  service. 

"  He  is  weaker  than  he  thinks,"  said  his  brother, 
when  Aaron  had  been  persuaded  to  go  into  an  adjoining 
room,  and  take  the  rest  he  so  much  needed  ;  and  in  spite 
of  the  joy  of  knowing  that  he  was  alive  and  no  longer  a 
prisoner,  it  was  with  heavy  hearts  that  Margaret  and 
her  grandfather  prepared  the  following  Monday  to  set 
out  on  their  return. 

"Should  you  chance  to  see  any  of  Captain  David 
Hand's  people,"  said  Aaron,  as  they  sat  waiting  for 
their  escort,  "  tell  them  that  the  captain  is  a  hero.  He's 
grit  to  the  backbone.  He  was  captured  by  the  British 
on  a  small  frigate  belonging  to  our  navy  off  Charleston 
Harbor,  and  was  detailed  to  make  repairs  on  the  cap 
tured  vessel,  with  the  promise  of  being  paid  for  his  labor. 
When  he  was  through,  the  wretches  who  were  rowing 
him  across  to  the  British  ship  overpowered  him,  and 


THE  PRISONER'S  STORY.  335 

stripped  him  of  nearly  everything  he  had  on.  But 
not  a  particle  intimidated,  the  moment  he  was  on  board 
he  marched  up  to  the  commander,  and  demanded  that 
his  clothes  be  restored  to  him.  '  Go  find  them  ;  I've  got 
nothing  to  do  about  that,'  was  the  answer ;  and  faring 
no  better  when  he  asked  for  his  pay,  he  boldly  told  the 
officer  that  all  he  wanted  now  was  to  begin  at  the  taff- 
rail,  and  fight  the  whole  ship's  crew  forward,  and  die 
like  a  man.1  One  of  his  shipmates,  captured  at  the  same 
tinte,  told  me  about  it ;  and  he  said  he  gloried  in  the 
captain's  pluck.  I  hope  the  brave  fellow  may  outlive 
his  brutal  captors.  What,  has  the  carriage  come?  " 

"O  father!  father!"  cried  Margaret,  throwing  her 
arms  around  him. 

"•Come,  little  one,"  said  her  grandfather,  presently, 
his  own  voice  quavering  ;  "  they  are  waiting  for  us." 

1  See  Howell's  "  History  of  Southampton,"  p.  77. 


336  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XLI. 

RESCUED. 

OWING  to  several  detentions  on  the  road,  it  was  late 
on  Tuesday  afternoon  when  the  travellers  reached 
Patchogue.  Margaret,  having  heard  Lieutenant  Burton 
say  that  a  detachment  of  British  soldiers  was  at  the  inn, 
would  have  preferred  to  spend  the  night  elsewhere ;  but 
her  grandfather,  who  was  already  over-tired,  agreed  with 
the  lieutenant  that  it  would  be  wiser  not  to  lengthen  the 
day's  journey. 

The  young  man,  however,  fully  appreciated  the  ob 
jection  she  had  made,  and  with  delicate  consideration 
ordered  supper  to  be  served  for  her  and  her  grandfather 
in  a  private  room. 

After  supper,  the  lieutenant  having  suggested  that  a 
walk  might  be  refreshing,  they  strolled  to  the  water,  with 
the  lieutenant  and  a  young  orderly  for  their  body-guard. 

"  Ah,  thank  God  for  the  wind  from  the  sea,"  said  the 
old  Quaker,  baring  his  head.  "It  is  the  one  imported 
article,"  he  added,  with  a  shrewd  sparkle  in  his  blue 
eyes,  "  on  which  the  British  can  levy  no  tax." 

The  lieutenant  took  this  home-thrust  very  good-na 
turedly. 

"  Ay,  you  have  the  best  of  us  there,"  he  said  with  a 


RESCUED.  337 

smile  ;  "  and  the  very  fact  that  the  sea  is  free  to  all,  will 
in  time,  I  trust,  establish  the  comity  of  nations." 

tk  God  speed  the  day,"  answered  the  old  man  fer 
vently  ;  "  the  day  when  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall 
be  as  one  family." 

Margaret  said  nothing.  She  was  still  haunted  by  the 
haggard  faces  of  the  prisoned  patriots,  and  the  convic 
tion,  in  spite  of  her  father's  hopeful  words,  that  Lodo- 
wick  had  not  escaped. 

Though  twilight  was  coming  on  when  they  turned  to 
go  back,  it  was  so  pleasant  out-of-doors  that  Margaret 
proposed  their  walking  to  the  other  end  of  the  village. 
But  as  they  came  opposite  the  inn,  their  attention  was 
arrested  by  a  party  of  soldiers,  and  the  girl  drew  back. 

"  What  are  they  doing?  "  she  asked,  a  little  startled. 
At  the  same  moment  she  discovered  that  they  were  ab 
sorbed  in  watching  a  horse  that  was  being  exhibited  for 
their  benefit.  It  was  a  fiery  young  animal,  and  the  man 
that  had  him  in  charge  evidently  considered  himself  the 
owner  of  a  prize. 

"  Eh,  but  he'th  a  beauty!  "  he  was  saying.  "Juth 
look  at  that  mane,  will  yer  !  An'  thee  what  an  eye  he'th 
got.  He'th  a  born  rayther  too.  Put  'im  in  training  till 
the  Athcot  'Eath  openth,  an'  I'll  wager  ten  poundth  that 
there  won't  be  anything  on  the  turf  to  m-m-atch  'im." 

Suddenly  Margaret  clutched  her  grandfather  by  the 
sleeve. 

"  It's  Lion,  grandpa  !  O  Lion  !  Lion  !  "  and  tighten 
ing  her  hold  on  the  old  man's  arm,  she  gave  a  low,  clear 
whistle  like  a  bird-call.  None  of  the  soldiers  seemed  to 


338  AH  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

hear  it ;  but  the  horse,  ceasing  his  prancing,  stood  for  a 
second  with  lifted  head  and  quivering  nostrils  ;  then,  with 
a  fierce  plunge,  he  freed  himself  from  his  keeper,  and 
dashed  across  the  street.  The  men  fell  back,  not  one  of 
them  daring  to  put  forth  a  restraining  hand. 

"  Good  heavens  !  Can  none  of  them  stop  him  !  "  cried 
the  lieutenant,  planting  himself  between  Margaret  and 
the  oncoming  hoofs.  But  Margaret  stepped  in  front  of 
him. 

"  It  is  Lion!  He  knows  me.  Come,  Lion,  come." 
And  the  next  moment,  with  a  contented  whinny,  Lion 
was  nestling  his  head  on  her  shoulder. 

"  O  Lion  I  Lion  !  "  she  cried,  putting  her  arms  about 
his  neck,  while  the  old  Quaker,  straightening  himself, 
put  a  protecting  arm  around  the  girl.  And  then  the 
spectators,  comprehending  what  it  meant,  and  carried 
out  of  themselves,  snatched  off  their  hats  and  sent  up  a 
cheer.  But  Lion's  exhibiter  took  no  part  in  it ;  and  be 
fore  the  excitement  lulled,  he  had  slunk  out  of  sight. 

"It  is  the  same  man  that  tried  to  steal  him  once  be 
fore,"  said  Margaret  to  the  lieutenant.  "  His  face  was 
blackened  then  ;  but  I  should  know  him  anywhere  by 
his  lisp,  and  that  queer  sagging  motion  of  his  knees." 

"  Oh  !  I  know  him.  It's  Wickson,  the  villain  !  "  an 
swered  Lieutenant  Burton.  And  calling  two  of  the  sol 
diers,  he  ordered  them  to  take  Wickson  at  once  into 
custody. 

"As  for  Lord  Lion,"  he  said,  "I  shall  have  him 
stalled  next  to  my  own  horse  to-night,  and  you  need 
have  no  fears  for  his  safety." 


RESCUED.  339 

"  Oh  !  thank  you,  but  I'm  afraid  I  shall  never  again 
feel  that  he  is  safe  anywhere,"  said  Margaret,  sadly,  with 
her  arm  still  over  Lion's  neck.  And  though  the  lieu 
tenant  assured  her  that  he  was  going  to  put  some  of  his 
men  on  guard,  it  was  with  many  misgivings  that  she 
suffered  Lord  Lion  to  be  led  away ;  for  who  could  tell 
to  what  base  stratagem  the  thief,  for  the  third  time 
foiled,  might  resort? 

Her  room  adjoined  her  grandfather's;  and  for  hours 
after  the  old  man  had  forgotten  his  wreariness  in  the 
peaceful  sleep  that  comes  so  readily  to  old  age,  she  sat 
at  the  window  with  every  nerve  alert,  for  though  Wick- 
son  himself  was  under  arrest,  no  one  knew  how  many 
confederates  he  might  have. 

Her  window  faced  the  east ;  and  presently  the  moon 
came  up,  and  shared  her  watch.  There  was  scarcely 
wind  enough  to  stir  the  tasselled  fringe  on  the  dimity 
curtains,  and  in  the  deepening  silence  the  muffled  beat 
of  the  surf  was  like  the  tramp  of  a  mighty  host  moving 
warily  to  its  goal.  At  intervals  a  whippoorwill,  hid  in 
some  dusky  corner  of  the  garden,  sent  out  its  pitiful 
lament ;  and  now  and  again,  from  a  giant  pine,  midway 
between  the  house  and  the  barn,  came  the  eerie  cry  of 
an  owl. 

She  heard  the  great  clock  in  the  hall  below  strike 
ten,  eleven,  twelve ;  and  during  all  the  long,  weird 
hours  the  sad  young  heart  was  making  its  cry  to 
Heaven.  Peace!  peace!  would  it  never  come?  Four 
years  of  war,  and  peace  no  nearer,  seemingly,  than  it 
was  at  the  beginning  !  She  tried  resolutely  not  to  think 


340  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

of  the  scenes  she  had  witnessed  in  the  city,  but  she 
found  it  impossible  to  shake  off  the  remembrance  of 
those  ghastly  processions  of  wasted  forms. 

By  and  by  the  sky  became  overcast,  and  the  air  began 
to  grow  uncomfortably  cool.  She  was  very  tired,  and 
it  seemed  needless  to  watch  any  longer  ;  if  the  lieutenant 
knew  what  she  was  doing,  he  would  surely  feel  hurt  at 
her  lack  of  confidence.  Just  then  a  footfall  caught  her 
ear ;  and  the  moon  breaking  forth  at  the  moment,  she 
saw  distinctly  a  soldier  crossing  the  yard.  Her  first  im 
pulse  was  to  cry  out.  But  the  man  was  not  going  to 
ward  the  barn;  he  was  simply  walking  back  and  forth. 
And  then  as  he  passed  from  the  shadow  of  the  trees  into 
the  full  moonlight,  she  discovered  that  it  was  Lieutenant 
Burton  himself.  "Bless  his  kind  heart !  "  she  said 
softly;  "he  must  have  been  keeping  watch  all  night." 

A  faint,  red  line  was  beginning  to  define  the  horizon  ; 
and  it  had  scarcely  become  visible  when  an  exultant 
cock  mounted  the  gate-post,  and  challenged  the  boding 
owl  with  the  announcement  that  day  was  at  hand.  It 
was  like  a  shout  of  triumph. 

Margaret,  screened  behind  her  curtains,  gave  another 
grateful  glance  at  the  faithful  guard  below.  The  night 
was  over,  and  Lion  was  unharmed  ;  and  heavy-eyed,  but 
with  a  lightened  heart,  she  threw  herself  on  the  bed  and 
went  to  sleep  at  once. 

It  was  broad  daylight  when  she  awoke.  She  heard 
her  grandfather  saying  at  the  door  that  breakfast  was 
ready  ;  and  dressing  in  haste,  she  went  down  looking  pale 
and  wan  after  her  long  vigil,  but  never  more  lovely. 


RESCUED.  341 

"  Oh  !  you  don't  need  to  tell  me  that  Lion  is  safe,"  she 
said,  giving  the  lieutenant  her  hand.  "  How  could  it 
be  otherwise  with  such  a  guardian?  How  kind  you 
are  !  " 

And  the  young  man  unblushingly  protested  that  he 
had  simply  been  on  duty. 

When  they  were  about  to  start,  he  proposed  having 
one  of  his  men  ride  Lion ;  but  Margaret  preferred  to 
lead  him. 

,"  He  will  follow  like  a  dog,"  she  said,  as  she  drew 
in  the  halter  at  the  back  of  the  carriage. 

They  had  taken  an  early  start,  and  were  travelling 
leisurely,  having  covered  about  a  third  of  the  distance 
between  Patchogue  and  home,  when  they  saw  a  small 
party  of  soldiers  approaching. 

"Aw,  it's  General  Erskine,"  cried  Burton.  "I 
thought  he  was  not  to  start  till  to-morro\v."  A  brief  ex 
planation  followed  the  greetings,  and  then  the  general 
turned  to  Margaret. 

"  We  have  your  small  worshipper  in  the  rear,  Miss 
Neale,"  he  said.  "  Last  night  we  lodged  in  Quogue, 
and  this  morning  we  overtook  the  little  fellow  trudging 
ahead  for  dear  life,  only  halting  now  and  then  as  if 
searching  for  something ;  and  when  one  of  the  men 
asked  him  what  he  was  looking  for,  he  told  a  pitiful 
story  about  'Miss  Marge's- horse'  being  '  stoled,'  and 
said  that  he  was  looking  for  his  tracks." 

As  he  was  speaking,  one  of  his  men  rode  up  with 
Rick  mounted  behind  him  ;  and  before  the  driver  could 
let  down  the  steps,  Margaret  was  out  of  the  carriage. 


342  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  O  my  girl !  "  cried  Rick,  sliding  to  the  ground,  "  I's 
—  I's  gone  an'  los'  Lawd  Lium  !  "  And  with  that  he 
hid  his  face  in  a  corner  of  Margaret's  shawl,  and  began 
to  sob. 

"Oh,  look  up,  Rick!"  said  his  mistress.  "Here's 
Lord  Lion  safe  and  sound." 

Rick  was  speechless,  but  Lord  Lion  squealed  with 
delight ;  and  the  next  minute  the  boy,  scrambling  to  his 
back,  had  his  arms  around  his  neck,  and  his  tear-stained 
little  face  buried  in  his  mane. 

"What !  Wickson  again?"  cried  the  general,  on  hear 
ing  the  particulars  of  Lord  Lion's  rescue.  "  Zouncls  ! 
but  the  villain  shall  have  something  more  than  thirty 
lashes  for  this  offence."  And  then  he  kindly  took  leave 
of  them.  "I  return  to  England  soon,"  he  said;  "but 
I'm  coming  back,  God  willing,  when  this  wretched  war 
is  over." 

"  Thou  wilt  not  lack  a  welcome,  friend,  when  that  day 
comes,"  responded  the  old  Quaker  warmly. 

For  the  remainder  of  the  journey  Rick  kept  a  tight 
grip  on  Lion ;  not  even  to  eat  could  he  be  persuaded  to 
dismount.  But  he  had  nothing  to  say  against  Margaret's 
keeping  her  hand  on  the  halter. 

At  home  his  sudden  disappearance  had  thrown  the 
whole  household  into  confusion.  Prudence  was  inclined 
to  think  that  he  had  taken  the  horse  and  joined  the 
enemy ;  but  Hagar  scouted  this  idea,  and  with  Ben  and 
Timothy  to  help  her,  had  spent  most  of  the  time  in 
searching  for  him. 

"We  tracked  the  little  fellow  as  far  as  New  Li<rht 


RESCUED.  343 

chapel,"  said  Ben,  "  and  then  we  lost  all  trace  of  him." 
And  from  Rick's  account  of  himself  it  seemed  that  just 
there  a  redcoat  picked  him  up,  and  carried  him  as  far  as 
Job's  Lane  on  his  horse,  with  the  intention,  evidently,  of 
confiscating  him ;  but  when  it  grew  dark  the  little  chap 
had  managed  to  slip  off,  and  take  to  his  heels. 

The  moment  this  mystery  was  cleared  up,  Prudence 
began  questioning  Margaret ;  and  she  was  mightily  put 
out  when  she  found  that  she  had  made  no  purchases. 


344  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

A    BRAVE    CHAMPION. 

THE  next  afternoon  Lieutenant  Burton  walked  in. 
Margaret  was  sewing ;  and  Rick,  who  on  a  low 
stool  at  her  side  had  been  laboriously  conning  a  column 
of  monosyllables,  sprung  up  and  gave  the  young  man  a 
chair.  Though  not  disposed  to  look  with  favor  on  any 
of  the  "webcoats,"  he  felt  that  the  lieutenant,  as  the 
rescuer  of  Lord  Lion,  was  entitled  to  some  considera 
tion  ;  and  when  he  had  seen  him  comfortably  seated,  he 
withdrew  with  stool  and  speller  to  a  respectful  distance, 
and  went  on  with  his  lesson. 

The  lieutenant,  expecting  to  return  to  the  city  the  next 
day,  had  come  with  a  purpose,  and  was  glad  to  find 
Margaret  alone  —  her  little  page  was  not  worth  taking 
into  consideration  any  more  than  the  white  kitten  curled 
on  the  settle  at  her  side.  He  was  a  clean-natured, 
straightforward  young  fellow ;  and  while  content  to  fol 
low  the  traditions  of  his  family  in  politics  and  religion, 
he  had  independence  enough  to  use  his  own  judgment 
when  it  came  to  choosing  a  wife.  And  where,  he  asked 
himself,  even  in  old  England,  could  he  lind  one  fairer 
and  sweeter  than  Margaret  Neale?  For  the  sake  of 
such  a  woman  a  man  might  almost  consent  to  remain  in 


A   BRAVE   CHAMPION.  345 

exile.  His  thoughts  had  been  taking  this  trend  since 
the  first  day  of  that  enchanting  journey  up  the  Island ; 
and  presently,  as  he  watched  her  at  her  work,  he  made 
an  effort  to  put  some  of  them  into  words. 

Margaret,  with  her  own  thoughts  preoccupied,  scarcely 
noticed  at  first  the  drift  of  what  he  was  saying.  But 
when  he  began  to  deplore  the  war,  her  interest  revived 
at  once. 

"  Most  of  us  agree  with  General  Erskine  that  it  has 
gone  on  long  enough,"  he  said.  "And  when  peace 
comes  —  aw,  when  peace  conies,  may  I  not  hope  — 
allow  me,  he  exclaimed,  springing  forward  to  pick  up 
a  spool  which  at  that  inopportune  moment  slipped  from 
Margaret's  fingers. 

Margaret  succeeded  in  catching  it  before  it  fairly 
reached  the  floor ;  but  at  the  same  instant  the  young 
man  caught  her  hand,  and  lifted  it  to  his  lips.  She 
drew  back  with  an  indignant  protest  in  her  face. 

"You  are  forgetting  yourself,  Lieutenant  Burton," 
she  said ;  and  her  voice  was  so  cold  and  cutting  that  he 
was  instantly  abashed. 

"Forgive  me,"  he  cried  deprecatingly.      "  I — I" 
An  ominous  growl  from  the  far  corner  of  the  room  inter 
rupted  him. 

"  Wa'  fo'  he  come  a-talking  thet  way  to  my  girl?" 
Rick  was  muttering  to  himself.  "I  isn't  goin'  to  hab 
him  here.  I's  goin'  to  put  him  out."  And  the  boy 
sprung  to  his  feet  with  his  small  frame  swelling  with 
wrath.  At  that  moment,  just  in  time  to  hear  his  threat, 
Ilacrar  chanced  to  come  to  the  door, 


346  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Stop  dat  nonsense,  yo'  young  chippermunk,"  she 
commanded  with  maternal  sternness;  "  wa'  yo'  want  'o 
be  boverin'  the  gempleman  fo',  w'en  he'm  a-talkin'  to 
yo'  young  mist'ess." 

Rick  faced  about  with  his  black  eyes  blazing. 

" 'Tain't  me  a-boverin'  him,  it's  him  a-boverin'  her!'"1 
he  cried,  stamping  the  floor  with  his  little  brown  foot, 
and  shaking  a  diminutive  finger  at  the  British  officer. 

"Rick!"  chided  Margaret,  trying  to  keep  a  grave 
face.  But  the  boy's  attitude  was  so  ludicrously  tragic 
that  even  the  lieutenant  found  his  features  relaxing ; 
and  now  that  he  had  come  to  himself,  he  was  thankful 
that  the  little  savage  had  saved  him  from  a  worse 
defeat.  Margaret  could  have  hugged  the  boy. 

"You  are  to  be  congratulated  on  having  so  bold  a 
champion,"  said  Burton,  with  a  grim  smile. 

"  Oh  !  Rick  is,  like  England's  champions,  more  loyal 
than  wise,"  answered  the  girl,  with  a  flash  of  mischief 
in  her  eyes.  Whereupon  the  lieutenant,  glad  of  so 
good  an  opportunity  to  change  the  subject,  picked  up 
the  gauntlet,  and  began  to  defend  himself  and  his  com 
patriots.  But  he  was  far  from  being  at  ease,  and  shortly 
he  bowed  himself  out. 

At  the  gate  he  met  Betty  Osgood.  She  wore  a  gown 
of  pale  green  muslin,  fine  and  sheer,  that  had  once  be 
longed  to  her  mother  ;  and,  offset  with  its  delicate  tint,  her 
face  looked  more  than  ever  like  a  fresh  wild  rose.  The 
lieutenant,  out  of  sorts  as  he  was,  could  not  help  remark 
ing  it  as  he  returned  her  friendly  greeting.  Betty  had 
always  admired  him.  It  did  her  good,  she  said,  to  see 


A   BRA  YE  CHAMPION.  347 

some  one  who  seemed  at  all  times  so  disposed  to  take 
life  cheerfully.  But  to-day  she  saw  that  something  had 
ruffled  him. 

"Has  anything  gone  wrong?"  she  asked  her  cousin, 
taking  a  feather  fan  from  the  mantel-piece,  and  seating 
herself  primly  in  one  of  the  high-backed  chairs. 

"  Oh  !  he  and  Rick  had  a  little  passage  at  arms ;  and 
as  Rick  had  rather  the  best  of  it,  the  lieutenant  naturally 
felt  a  trifle  nettled.  I  don't  know  what  I  am  going  to  do 
with  Rick." 

"  He  certainly  ought  to  be  taught  to  show  more  reve 
rence  for  his  superiors,"  said  Betty,  making  a  gentle 
ripple  in  the  air  with  the  peacock  feathers.  "You  are 
not  firm  enough  with  him,  Meg.  Everybody  says  you  are 
spoiling  him." 

"Perhaps  I  am,"  answered  Margaret  meekly,  with 
out  a  suspicion  of  a  smile.  And  Betty,  feeling  that  she 
had  done  her  duty,  began  lamenting  the  going  of  the 
officers,  Margaret  having  remarked  that  the  lieutenant- 
was  to  follow  the  others  the  next  day. 

"They  are  our  enemies,  to  be  sure;  but  they  are 
gentlemen,  and  we  shall  die  of  loneliness  if  this  goes  on." 
And  Betty  held  the  fan  before  her  face,  and  furtively 
wiped  her  eyes. 

"  Yes,  it  is  lonely,"  said  Margaret,  with  a  shiver. 


348  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XLIII. 

A    DARK    DAY. 

SINCE  the  burning  of  Danbury  the  enemy  had  made 
so  little  disturbance  in  Connecticut  that  the  people  of 
the  East  End  had  comforted  themselves  with  the  thought 
that  their  exiled  friends  were  experiencing  but  few  of  the 
horrors  of  war.  But  suddenly  even  this  consolation  was 
snatched  from  them.  It  wras  on  a  July  day  that  the  news 
came.  The  British,  led  by  General  Tryon,  had  captured 
New  Haven,  and  burned  Fairfield  to  the  ground.  And 
in  the  midst  of  the  terror  and  distress  inspired  by  this 
information,  they  heard  of  the  burning  of  Norwalk. 

"  It  is  past  belief  that  General  Tryon  could  counte 
nance  such  atrocities,"  said  Squire  Osborn. 

"Alas,  Tryon  has  become  a  Nero!"  answered  Priest 
Buell.  "  It  is  said  that  after  giving  the  order  for  Nor 
walk  to  be  burned,  he  seated  himself  in  a  rocking-chair 
on  a  neighboring  hill,  and  made  merry  over  the  spec 
tacle.  It  seems  that  they  had  planned  a  descent  on 
New  London  also  —  Tryon  has  a  special  spite  against 
New  London,  owing  to  its  being  such  a  rendezvous  for 
privateers  —  but  fearing  that  the  opposition  might  be 
too  strong  for  them,  they  took  to  their  ships,  and  came 
back  to  Huntington  Bay  to  await  re-enforcements.'' 


A  DARK.   DAY.  349 

"  So  the  town  is  still  menaced,"  cried  Osborn.  "  My 
God  !  when  will  it  end?  " 

When  ?  When  ?  It  was  a  question  that  was  being  daily 
repeated  in  every  patriotic  heart  throughout  the  land. 
But  the  months  dragged  by,  and  winter  came  again,  and 
still  there  was  no  sign  of  peace. 

And  what  a  winter  it  was  !  Even  the  forces  of  nature 
seemed  in  league  with  the  enemy,  for  so  intense  was  the 
cold  that  the  Sound  became  a  highway  over  which  the 
British  artillery  was  transported  on  wheels.  For  weeks 
there  was  no  respite,  and  the  hapless  East  End  patriots 
—  especially  the  women  —  found  themselves  nearer  than 
ever  to  absolute  despair ;  for  anxiety  and  sorrow  are  al 
ways  doubly  hard  to  endure  when  the  sky  is  bleak  and 
the  mercury  at  zero,  and  trebly  hard  if,  in  addition  to 
these  discomforts,  the  larder  be  scant  of  food  and  the 
hearth  of  fuel. 

But  neither  the  shrivelling  cold  nor  the  fear  of  the 
enemy  sufficed  to  keep  the  villagers  from  gathering 
on  the  Lord's  Day  in  the  gray  old  meeting-house  ;  and 
though  even  those  who  had  foot-stoves  were  often  chilled 
to  the  bone,  they  always  went  away  warmed  and  strength 
ened  spiritually,  for  however  dark  the  hour,  the  little 
minister's  cheerful  faith  was  equal  to  the  demand. 

"Courage,  my  people,  courage!"  was  his  constant 
keynote.  "  There  was  never  yet  a  winter  that  did  not 
yield  to  spring,  and  never  a  war  that  did  not  sooner  or 
later  give  place  to  peace." 

And  at  last  the  cold  surrendered  to  the  sun.  But  the 
East  End  was  still  at  the  mercy  of  the  foe. 


350  /IN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  They  had  a  perilous  time  at  Amagansett  last  even 
ing,"  said  Priest  Buell,  coming  in  one  afternoon  to  give 
Margaret  the  latest  tidings.  "  A  party  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  redcoats,  all  of  them  evidently  in  liquor,  invaded 
the  village.  Their  first  call  was  at  Nathaniel  Baker's, 
and  there,  for  some  reason,  not  much  mischief  was 
done ;  but  at  Jeremiah  Conkling's  they  fired  through 
the  doors  and  windows,  and  so  frightened  the  children 
that  they  took  refuge  in  the  oven.  Then,  seeing  a  light 
at  Jerusha's,  the  wretches  went  over  there  and  demanded 
admittance ;  but  Isaac  told  them  to  go  about  their  busi 
ness,  and  began  securing  the  door.  A  loud  report  fol 
lowed.  Jerusha  was  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  room 
holding  the  light  for  her  husband  ;  and  the  ball  passed 
under  her  elbow,  and  lodged  in  the  fireplace,  very  nearly 
killing  Coats, the  negro,  who  was  putting  on  some  wood. 
I  shudder  to  think  what  a  narrow  escape  they  had.  For 
tunately  the  little  lads  were  in  bed." 

"  Oh,  thank  God,  no  one  was  hurt !  "  cried  Margaret. 

"Ay,  we  gave  thanks  indeed  for  that,  but  there  is 
no  safety  for  either  life  or  property  with  such  brutes  at 
large.  It  is  rumored,  though,  that  the  troops  at  this 
end  of  the  Island  have  been  ordered  to  the  front,  and  I 
trust  that  soon  we  shall  be  rid  of  them.  When  that 
comes  to  pass,  you  must  run  down  to  see  Jerusha.  She 
\vas  asking  about  you  this  morning.  But  I  came  near 
forgetting  a  part  of  my  news.  Young  Dr.  Ebenezer 
Sage1  has  come  from  Connecticut  to  make  his  home  in 

1  The  Dr.  Sage  mentioned  in  Cooper's  "  Sea  Lions."  In  iSoi  he  removed  to  Sag 
Harbor. 


A  DARK  DAY.  351 

Easthampton ;  so  the  sick  among  us  can  take  heart,  for 

he  brings  the  best  of  credentials.  Ah  !  there's  Sammy 
calling  me.  I  left  the  little  man  at  the  woodpile  with 
Rick.  Good-by,  friends,  good-by  !"  And  catching  up 
his  hat,  he  gave  a  smiling  nod,  and  was  off. 

"Oh,  what  fiends  they  are!"  cried  Margaret,  too 
excited  over  her  friend's  narrow  escape  to  give  a  thought 
to  the  young  doctor's  coming.  "  I  must  go  to  her  at 
once." 

"Not  yet,  child,  not  yet,"  said  her  grandfather. 
"  When  we  know  that  none  of  them  are  left  on  this  end 
of  the  Island  it  will  be  time  enough  for  thee  to  think  of 
going." 

But  the  soldiers  were  in  no  haste  to  desert  the  East 
End  ;  and  when  one  day  in  May  word  came  that  Mrs. 
Conkling  was  ill,  Margaret  could  wait  no  longer. 

"  None  of  their  horses  would  be  able  to  overtake 
Lion  if  I  gave  him  the  rein,"  she  urged;  "  and  Ben  can 
go  with  me  on  Vic." 

"  Of  course  I  can,  and  be  only  too  glad  of  the  chance," 
cried  Ben. 

But  her  grandfather  insisted  on  going  himself. 

"  Oh,  let  Ben  go  !  "  Margaret  entreated.  "  They  have 
no  respect  for  gray  hairs  ;  and  I  should  never  forgive 
myself,  grandpa,  if  any  harm  came  to  you."  But  he 
held  to  his  purpose ;  and  Ben,  feeling  that  a  brawny 
youth  of  eighteen  was  likely  to  prove  quite  as  trusty  a 
squire  as  a  man  of  seventy-five,  set  about  grooming  Vic 
with  his  ardor  somewhat  dashed ;  while  Margaret,  de 
termining  to  be  prepared  to  protect  the  gray  hairs,  went 


352  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

to  the  little  cupboard  over  the  fireplace,  and  took  down 
an  old  horse-pistol  belonging  to  her  father ;  but  her 
grandfather  caught  sight  of  it. 

"  No,  no;  leave  it  where  it  is,  child,''  he  commanded 
with  unaccustomed  sternness.  "  If  thou  art  likely  to 
need  a  defence  of  that  sort  it  were  wiser  to  tarn'  at 
home."  And  Margaret  reluctantly  laid  it  back  in  its 
place. 

The  morning  was  fair,  and  they  took  an  early  start. 
But  by  the  time  they  reached  Amagansett  the  sky  had 
begun  to  darken. 

"  It  will  be  well  to  make  but  a  short  stay,  if  we  would 
not  be  caught  in  the  rain,"  said  her  grandfather,  as  they 
dismounted.  But  Margaret,  who  was  already  half  way 
to  the  house,  gave  no  further  thought  to  the  weather. 

She  found  her  friend  propped  up  in  her  armchair, 
with  Dr.  Sage  in  attendance. 

"  Amagansett  as  well  as  Easthampton  is  to  be  con 
gratulated,"  said  the  invalid  with  a  smile,  when  the 
greetings  and  introductions  were  over. 

"  Nay,  I  am  the  one  to  be  congratulated,"  responded 
the  doctor,  with  a  courtly  bow.  He  was  a  serious-faced 
young  fellow,  with  the  general  air  of  a  student;  and 
Margaret  said  to  herself  that  he  looked  like  a  man  to  be 
trusted.  But  her  impatience  to  have  her  friend  to  her 
self  made  her  glad  when  he  withdrew. 

It  was  scarcely  fifteen  minutes  later  that  John  Lion 
and  little  David  came  running  to  their  mother  to  ask 
what  made  it  night  so  soon.  At  that,  Margaret,  who 
had  quite  forgotten  the  outer  world,  became  aware  of 


A  DARK  DAY.  353 

the  increasing  darkness ;  and  just  then  her  grandfather 
and  Mr.  Conkling  hurried  in. 

"We  must  be  off,  Margaret,"  said  the  old  Quaker, 
"  or  we  shall  not  get  home  before  the  storm  breaks.  It 
is  so  dark  already  that  the  fowls  have  gone  to  roost." 

"  Oh  !  you  must  wait  till  the  storm  is  over,"  protested 
Mrs.  Conkling. 

But  Margaret  agreed  with  her  grandfather  that  it  was 
better  to  start  at  once. 

Meanwhile  Ben,  chafing  a  bit  over  his  disappoint 
ment,  had  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  have  a  little 
outing  of  his  own.  By  the  time  he  could  reach  Three 
Mile  Harbor,  he  said  to  himself,  the  tide  would  be  about 
right  for  clamming.  lie  looked  around  for  Timothy. 
But  Tim,  who  had  no  fondness  for  clam-digging,  hav 
ing  chanced  to  get  an  inkling  of  Ben's  plan,  had  hied  to 
the  woods  to  gather  pine  knots  ;  and  Ben,  failing  to  find 
him,  took  his  rake  and  basket,  and  started  off  alone.  He 
took  also  his  gun,  thinking  that  he  might  perhaps  have 
the  good  fortune  to  sight  some  game. 

He  had  gone  about  half  the  distance  when,  in  passing 
a  thicket,  he  heard  cries  of  distress  ;  and  making  a  loop 
hole  through  the  brush,  he  saw  old  Timothy  writhing  in 
the  clutches  of  two  villanous-looking  redcoats.  They 
had  bound  the  poor  fellow  to  a  tree,  and  were  just  then 
engaged  in  gagging  him.  Ben  pulled  out  his  jack-knife  ; 
and  waiting  a  moment  to  decide  in  what  way  he  could 
render  the  best  help,  he  discovered  that  the  men  were 
searching  about  for  switches.  Fortunately  they  had  to 
go  a  little  distance  to  find  what  they  wanted  ;  and  before 


354  4N  1SLAXD   HEROIXE. 

they  could  return,  Ben  had  set  their  victim  at  liberty. 
Tim  was  for  making  good  his  escape,  but  Ben  charged 
him  to  lie  low  and  keep  quiet.  While  this  was  going  on, 
the  light  had  become  so  dim  that  the  redcoats,  hurrying 

0 

back  with  their  rods  and  rinding  no  prisoner,  supposed 
that  they  had  missed  the  spot. 

"It's  so  beastly  dark,"  growled  one  of  them,  begin 
ning  to  beat  about  among  the  bushes.  But  suddenly 
Ben  and  Timothy  sprang  up  with  a  wild  whoop  :  and 
while  Ben  levelled  his  gun  at  them,  Timothy  menaced 
them  with  the  clam-rake.  Whereupon  the  soldiers  took 
to  their  heels,  too  thoroughly  scared  to  look  behind  them. 

••Bless  de  Lawd.  yo's  made  a  free  man  o'  me  ag'in, 
Marse  Benj,"  cried  the  old  slave,  shouldering  the  rake  : 
••  an'  I  isn't  goin'  to  to' git  it.  If  yo's  goin'  clammin'.  I's 
goin'  along.''  But  Ben  cast  a  dubious  eye  at  the  sky,  and 
decided  that  it  would  be  wiser  to  turn  about.  Then  an 
other  thought  struck  him.  The  redcoats  had  tied  in  the 
direction  of  Amagansett :  what  if  they  chanced  to  meet 

•/ 

Meg  and  her  grandfather? 

••  Guess  we'd  better  cut  across  to  the  main  road,  and  be 
ready  to  head  'em  off,"  he  said,  picking  up  the  switches 
the  men  had  dropped,  and  giying  one  to  Timothy. 

They  were  barely  out  of  the  woods  when  they  saw 
dimly  through  the  murky  atmosphere  Margaret  and  the 
old  Quaker  going  at  a  rapid  canter  along  the  highway. 
But  before  they  could  warn  them,  the  two  soldiers 
vaulted  over  the  hedge  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road ; 
and  while  one  of  them  seized  Vic's  bridle,  the  other 
made  a  dash  for  Lion,  declaring  with  an  ugly  oath  that 


A   DARK  DAY.  355 

his  Majesty's  men  \vere  not  going  to  be  travelling  on 
i<jot  when  horses  could  be  had  for  the  taking. 

••  Wait,"  whispered  Ben,  catching  hold  of  Tim,  who 

was   for   pouncing   on  them   at  once:    "lets  see   what 

grandpa's  up  to."  For  while  Lord  Lion,  who  had 
broken  into  his  war-dance,  was  keeping  his  assailant  at 
a  safe  distance  with  his  flying  hoofs,  the  old  man  was 

calmly  addressing  the  figure  at  Vic's  head. 

'•  We  have  no  wish  to  harm  thee,  friend."  Ben  heard 
him  <ay  :  •  •  but  if  thou  dost  not  allow  us  to  proceed  quietly 
on  our  way,  thou  must  take  the  consequences."  And 
then,  to  his  amazement,  he  saw  that  he  was  covering 

O 

the  two  men  —  who  chanced  to  be  standing  in  direct 
range  of  each  other  —  with  the  old  horse-pistol  that  he 
had  forbidden  Margaret  to  carry.  At  the  same  moment 
there  came  a  deafening  peal  of  thunder:  and  while  the 
frightened  horses  were  snorting  and  plunging.  Ben  and 
Timothy  cleared  the  hedge,  and  began  whacking  the 
ruffians  with  their  hickory  switches. 

••Bravo  !"  cried  Margaret;  but  it  was  not  till  the  red 
coats,  with  a  volley  of  curses,  had  again  taken  to  their 
heels,  that  she  discovered  who  the  knicjhts  were  that  had 

o 

come  so  valiantly  to  the  rescue. 

''  They  didn't  think  they  were  pruning  rods  for  their 
own  backs."  chuckled  Ben.  when  he  had  explained  how 
he  and  Timothy  had  come  by  their  weapons.  "•  It's 
what  a  good  many  folks  are  doing  these  days,"  he  added 
dryly. 

While  Margaret  was  quieting  Lord  Lion.  Dr.  Sage 
rode  up  ;  and  when  he  heard  of  the  attack,  he  heartilv 


356  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

wished  that  he  himself  had  happened  along  in  time  to 
play  the  knight-errant  for  this  brown-eyed  maiden.  But 
there  was  no  time  to  waste  in  talking,  the  sky  was  too 
threatening  ;  and  the  three  riders  set  off  on  a  gallop,  with 
Ben  and  Timothy  scudding  after  them  on  foot. 

By  the  time  they  entered  the  village,  though  it  was 
midday,  they  could  scarcely  discern  the  outlines  of  the 
houses.  Even  the  windmill,  with  its  long,  gray  arms, 
was  only  a  blurred  shadow  against  the  sombre  back 
ground. 

"It  is  hard  to  tell  what  it  portends,"  said  the  young 
doctor,  reseating  himself  in  the  saddle  after  helping  Mar 
garet  dismount.  And  with  a  lingering  bow  he  rode  on. 

"Grandpa!  to  think  of  your  carrying  that  pistol!" 
cried  the  girl.  "After  forbidding  me  to  take  it,  too! 
Why,  you  fairly  took  my  breath  away !  " 

"Ay,  child,  I  own  'twas  an  unseemly  thing,"  he  an 
swered  meekly.  "For  myself  I  would  fain  gird  on 
only  the  spiritual  armor ;  but  there  are  times  when  it 
behooves  us,  for  the  sake  of  others,  to  provide  ourselves 
with  carnal  weapons  also.  However  —  thee  may  as  well 
not  mention  it  perhaps  —  the  pistol  was  not  loaded,  little 
one."  And  at  that,  in  spite  of  the  funereal  pall  that 
enveloped  them,  Margaret  laughed  outright. 

"  Oh,  my  Ian'  !  dat  yo'  laughin',  Miss  Marge?  "  called 
Hagar  from  the  porch.  "Thank  de  Lawd  yo's  here. 
Ef  de  en'  ob  de  worl's  a-comin',  an'  we's  a-goin'  to  glory, 
I  wants  de  fambly  to  kind  o'  keep  togedder,  so's  we'll 
know  whar  we  all  is." 

"Oh!    don't  be   frightened,    Hagar,"    said   the  girl. 


"  '  \\'E  HAVE  NO  WISH  TO  HARM  THEE,   FRIEND,'    SAID  THE  OLD 
QUAKER,   '  RUT  THOU  MUST  TAKE  THE  CONSEQUENCES.'  " 


A  DARK  DAY.  357 

"Grandpa  thinks  it  will  soon  be  over."  But  she  herself 
was  beginning  to  wonder,  with  a  feeling  akin  to  fright, 
what  the  outcome  was  to  be. 

"Well,  did  you  ever  see  anything  like  this?"  cried 
Prudence,  meeting  them  at  the  door.  "It  passes  my 
comprehension.  The  idea  of  having  to  eat  by  candle 
light  at  noontime  !  " 

And  lo  !  there  on  the  dinner-table  twro  tall  bayberry 
candles  in  the  shining  brass  candlesticks  were  diffusing 
both  light  and  fragrance,  and  making  a  comforting  con 
trast  to  the  weird  gloom  outside. 

For  three  hours  longer  midnight  brooded  over  the 
land.  Then  gradually  the  clouds  grew  lighter;  and  by 
and  by  the  birds  began  to  pipe,  and  the  fowls — discov 
ering  that  they  had  made  a  mistake  in  the  time  of  day 
—  came  down  from  their  roosts,  and  went  to  grubbing. 

The  "  Dream  of  Darkness"  was  at  an  end,  and  those 
who  had  quaked  with  fear  congratulated  themselves  on 
a  new  lease  of  life. 

"  You  and  grandad  won't  be  likely  to  forget  the  nine 
teenth  of  May  very  soon,"  said  Ben,  as  he  discussed 
with  Margaret  the  day's  adventures.  "Oh!  but 'twas 
fun  to  see  grandpa  handle  that  pistol.  S'pose  he'd 
really  have  fired  if  there'd  been  any  need  of  it,  Meg?" 

Meg  had  gone  to  the  window. 

"  Here  comes  Debby  Brewster,"  she  remarked. 
Whereupon  Ben  made  a  dash  into  the  entry. 


AN  ISLAND  HE  KOINE. 


CHAPTER   XLIV. 

MISSING. 

IN  June  a  proclamation  went  forth  requiring  the  in 
habitants  of  Long  Island  to  furnish  nine  thousand 
cords  of  wood  for  the  barracks  in  New  York  ;  the  people 
of  Southampton,  Easthampton,  and  Southold  being  ex 
pected  to  supply  one-third  the  amount,  and  to  have  it 
ready  for  shipping  by  the  first  of  September.  All  who 
withheld  their  help  were  to  be  heavily  fined. 

"Wish  you'd  put  me  up  a  lunch,  Meg,"  said  Ben  one 
evening,  shortly  after  hearing  of  this  requisition.  "I'm 
going  fishing  to-morrow  with  Burt  and  Vet,  and  we 
want  to  be  off  by  daylight.  And  you  can  tell  Debby 
that  if  nothing  happens  I'll  bring  her  a  bluefish.  I 
heard  her  wishing  for  one  yesterday." 

"Then  be  sure  to  be  home  in  good  season,"  advised 
Meg,  as  she  took  down  the  lunch-basket.  But  Ben  was 
busy  with  his  hooks  and  lines,  and  made  no  reply. 

"  Benjamin  is  late  with  his  fish,"  said  his  grandfather 
the  next  afternoon  as  it  drew  near  supper-time. 

"Oh!  boys,  if  they  are  enjoying  themselves,  don't 
pay  much  heed  to  the  time  of  day,"  answered  Margaret 
with  a  laugh.  "As  long  as  the  fish  bite,  it  makes  no  dif 
ference  where  the  sun  is." 


MISSING.  359 

Prudence  said  nothing,  but  when  nine  o'clock  came 
she  began  to  be  irritably  anxious. 

"There  is  no  cause  for  uneasiness,  Prudence,"  her 
father-in-law  assured  her.  "The  lads  are  no  longer 
children,  and  in  weather  like  this  they  are  as  safe  on 
the  water  as  on  land." 

But  days  grew  into  weeks  without  bringing  any  news 
of  the  young  fishermen. 

"All  I  know  about  it,"  volunteered  Silas  Post,  "is 

what  I  heard  Vet  Dimon  say.      He  vowed  if   he  was 
* 
goin'  to  chop  wood  for  anybody's  barracks  'twould  be  for 

Gen'al  Washin'ton's,  an1  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  they'd  all 
three  set  off  for  New  Lon'on." 

"  If  that's  the  case,  Benjamin  need  never  trouble  him 
self  to  come  home,"  Prudence  declared,  with  Spartan 
firmness. 


360  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XLV. 

A    GAJ.A    DAY. 

ONE  Monaay  afternoon  Silas  appeared  at  the  kitchen- 
door  with  a  mess  of  fine  porgies. 

"Thought  maybe  you'd  git  tired  o'  waitin'  for  Ben/' 
he  said,  as  he  delivered  the  fish  to  Ila^ar. 

O 

"  Ilab  to  go  'thout  good  while,  I's  feared,  if  we  wait 
fo'  him,"  answered  Ilagar,  turning  up  her  eyes.  "  I's 
be'n  tryin'  fo'  a  munt  to  'suade  Tim'fy  to  git  some  ;  but, 
laws  !  he  ain't  got  no  mo'  gumshum  'bout  iishin'  'n  a 
hitchin'-pos',  Tim'fy  ain't." 

"  But  hitching-posts  are  good  things  to  tie  to,  Ilagar," 
said  Margaret,  with  a  smile  that  brought  a  dimple  with 
it.  She  had  her  sleeves  rolled  to  the  elbow ;  for  she 
had  been  helping  Hagar  stretch  the  sheets  and  fold  the 
clothes  for  the  next  day's  ironing,  and  the  exercise  had 
brought  the  color  into  her  cheeks,  and  roughened  the 
brown  rings  about  her  forehead. 

"  Hear  how  Wakeman  Foster  up  to  Pon'quogue  got 
the  best  o'  the  British  t'other  afternoon?"  Silas  asked, 
making  talk  as  an  excuse  for  lingering.  "  Well,"  he 
went  on,  delighted  to  find  that  no  one  had  forestalled 
him  with  the  story,  "  a  party  of  'em  come  along  an'  or 
dered  him  to  yoke  up  his  oxen,  an'  draw  a  boat  across 


A   GALA  DAY.  361 

for  'em  from  the  Peconic  to  Shinnecock  Bay.  So  off 
he  started  with  it,  as  meek  as  a  lamb,  with  their  lord 
ships  follerin'  on  at  their  laysure ;  an'  soon  's  it  come 
dark  he  begun  layin'  on  the  gad,  till  the  animals  broke 
into  a  run.  But  as  he  was  yellin'  '  whoa'  all  the  while, 
the  redcoats  thought  'twas  all  right,  an'  didn't  try  to 
ketch  up  with  'em  ;  an'  quick  as  he  was  out  o'  earshot  he 
turned  the  critters  loose  in  the  brush,  an'  that  was  the 

last  the  men  ever  saw  o'  their  boat.     Putty  neat  trick, 

•i  ' L  ti  " 
n\vasn  t  it  r 

" 'Twas  shrewdly  done,"  Margaret  admitted ;  "but 
these  things,  I'm  afraid,  only  make  them  the  more  ready 
to  retaliate." 

"Oh!  they  don't  wait  for  no  excuses  for  that,"  said 
Silas.  "  Hullo!  here  comes  Olin  ;  colors  at  half  mas' 
as  us'al.  He  was  in  this  mornin'  to  borrer  some  coals  ; 
said  his  tire  was  out  an'  his  tinder  damp,  an'  I  kind  o' 
thought  then  he  looked  as  if  he  was  expectin'  bad  news. 
What  now,  mate  ?  " 

"Oh!  more  trouble,"  complained  Olin.  "Jus'  as 
we  's  thinkin'  we'd  'bout  got  rid  o'  the  enemy,  here's  a 
hul  fleet  of  'em  come  to  anchor  in  Gardiner's  Bay." 

"  Maybe  it's  trouble  an'  maybe  'tain't,"  drawled  Silas. 
"  I  can't  see's  it's  any  worse'n  havin'  'em  quartered  here 
in  the  village.  'Sides,  the  more  of  'em  we  have  down 
this  en'  o'  the  Island  the  fewer  there'll  be  to  pertec' 
t'other  en' ;  an'  some  o'  these  days  our  folks  '11  jus'  sail 
in  there  an'  take  possession  ag'in." 

"  'Bout  as  much  likelihood  of  that  as  there  is  o'  seein' 
that  hoof  o'  mine  made  to  look  like  a  human  bein's," 


362  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

scoffed  Olin,  thrusting  out  his  club  foot,  and  regarding 
it  with  hopeless  eyes. 

"Oh!  there's  many  a  worse  foot  in  the  world  than 
that,  Olin,"  said  Margaret;  "  and  many  a  one  that  looks 
all  right  that's  not  half  as  quick  to  run  on  kindly 
errands.  Mother  Miller  says  that  you  are  her  main  de 
pendence  now  that  old  Caasar  is  so  nearly  bedridden. 
I  don't  know  what  the  neighborhood  would  do  without 
you  and  Silas.  But  tell  us  more  about  the  fleet." 

Olin,  however,  had  already  told  all  that  he  knew. 
The  ships  were  riding  at  anchor  in  the  bay,  but  what 
object  they  had  in  coming  was  wholly  a  matter  of  con 
jecture. 

But  presently  it  became  known  that  the  fleet  was  a 
part  of  the  squadron  that  was  blockading  Newport 
under  Admiral  Arbuthnot,  and  that  the  admiral  had 
chosen  Gardiner's  Bay  for  his  winter  quarters. 

The  news  at  first  caused  a  good  deal  of  apprehension ; 
and  it  is  recorded  in  the  village  chronicles  that  Tom 
Davis,  who  a  few  weeks  before  had  married  Mary  Con- 
klin  of  Amagansett,  was  so  fearful  of  being  obliged  to 
swear  allegiance  to  King  George,  that  he  procured  a 
small  sailboat,  and  taking  his  bride  and  her  wedding 
outfit,  together  with  a  seven-pail  brass  kettle,  without 
which  no  well-regulated  family  thought  it  possible  to 
keep  house,  ran  the  blockade,  under  cover  of  night,  and 
set  out  for  Stonington,  where  he  arrived  safely  the  fol 
lowing  morning. 

But  it  was  soon  found  that  the  admiral  was  a  man  of 
much  the  same  stamp  as  Sir  William  Erskine ;  while 


A   GALA  DAY.  363 

among  his  officers  and  men  there  was  comparatively  lit 
tle  of  the  lawlessness  that  had  characterized  the  troops 
that  had  quartered  in  the  Hamptons.  For  services  ren 
dered,  as  well  as  for  provisions  furnished  in  response  to 
the  weekly  requisitions,  a  fair  compensation  was  made ; 
and  long  before  the  winter  was  over,  the  villagers  had 
almost  ceased  to  regard  the  new  neighbors  as  enemies. 
Like  his  predecessors,  however,  the  admiral  believed  in 
enforcing  the  oath,  and  for  this  purpose  a  command  was 
^issued  for  the  assembling  of  all  who  were  capable  of 
carrying  arms. 

"Thought  we'd  got  through  with  that,"  said  Silas 
Post,  who  with  several  others  had  thus  far  managed  to 
evade  this  requirement. 

"  Like  to  see  'em  make  me  do  it,"  scoffed  Ike 
Bennett.  And  when  at  the  appointed  time  the  officer 
commissioned  to  compel  allegiance  undertook  to  teach 
Bennett  the  prescribed  formula,  a  ludicrous  scene  oc 
curred.1 

"Now,  then,  man,  repeat  after  me  the  words  that  I 
use,"  he  commanded.  "  If  you  practise  any  evasion 
you  will  be  properly  punished,  I  promise  you  that." 

"  '  If  you  practise  any  evasion  you  will  be  properly 
punished,  I  promise  you  that,' ':  repeated  Bennett 
promptly. 

"  Simpleton  !  "  cried  the  officer. 

"  '  Simpleton  ! '  "  echoed  Bennett. 

"The  fellow's  a  fool,"  snapped  the  angry  Briton. 
And  when  Bennett,  with  the  utmost  gravity,  repeated 

1  This  is  an  actual  occurrence. 


364  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

the  words,  the  others  set  up  such  a  shout  that  the  offi 
cer,  thoroughly  disgusted  with  the  whole  proceeding, 
adjourned  the  appointment  indefinitely. 

"Better  let  them  alone,"  he  advised  his  brother  offi 
cers.  "They're  as  peaceable  as  lambs  as  long  as 
they're  left  to  go  their  own  gait,  but  undertake  to  drive 
'em  and  they're  as  contrary  as  mules." 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  the  exciting  announce 
ment  was  made  that  the  officers  were  planning  a  recep 
tion  to  be  given  on  shipboard  in  honor  of  the  young 
gentlewomen  of  the  village,  all  of  whom  were  to  be 
invited. 

"But  of  course  none  of  us  expect  to  go,"  said  Amy 
Mulford,  who  with  her  father  and  sister  was  calling  at 
the  Thurstons' ;  and  her  tone  clearly  indicated  that  she 
thought  it  a  great  pity. 

"Indeed,  you  must  all  go,"  said  the  captain  deci 
sively.  "When  an  enemy  is  so  kindly  disposed,  there 
is  nothing  gained  by  carrying  too  stiff  a  backbone.  Go, 
by  all  means,  and  let  them  see  that  as  long  as  they  con 
duct  themselves  like  gentlemen  you  are  willing  to  recog 
nize  them  as  such." 

Amy's  eyes  danced.  This  was  more  than  she  had 
dared  to  hope.  To  these  village  maidens,  debarred 
from  all  the  legitimate  pastimes  and  recreations  of  girl 
hood,  the  accounts  of  the  preparations  that  were  being 
made  for  this  novel  entertainment  had  proved  so  fasci 
nating,  that,  loyal  as  they  were,  they  could  not  help 
longing  to  be  present.  But  not  one  of  them  had  ven 
tured  to  put  the  longing  into  words. 


A   GALA   DAY.  365 

"It  is  rumored,"  remarked  Hannah  Mulford,  "that 
the  officers  are  intending  to  present  each  guest  with  some 
kind  of  a  gift  as  a  sort  of  a  souvenir ;  that  is,  if  the  guests 
don't  object." 

"Why  should  they  object?"  said  her  father.  "The 
gift  is  evidently  to  be  proffered  simply  as  a  token  of 
hospitality  and  friendliness ;  and  since  here  at  the  East 
End  we  are  practically,  for  the  time  at  least,  a  con 
quered  people,  it  ill  behooves  us  to  anger  the  enemy 
with  any  uncalled-for  show  of  pride." 
1  Margaret  had  listened  in  silence.  She  had  no  wish 
to  keep  the  others  from  going ;  but  for  her  the  remem 
brance  of  those  black  ships,  with  their  wan-faced  crews, 
at  anchor  in  the  Wallabout,  was  still  too  vivid  to  let  her 
think  with  any  pleasure  of  taking  part  in  the  merry 
making. 

"  But  the  lieutenant  is  here,  Meg,  Lieutenant  Bur 
ton,"  said  Betty  Osgood,  who  had  come  in  while  the 
subject  was  under  debate.  "  He  is  to  be  at  the  enter 
tainment." 

But  not  even  the  lieutenant  himself  could  prevail  on 
her  to  go.  And  so  it  chanced  that  on  the  eventful  day, 
when  the  lieutenant  led  off  in  the  first  dance,  Betty  was 
his  partner. 

The  vessel  on  which  the  reception  was  given  was 
gayly  decorated,  and  beneath  the  silken  awnings  the 
young  feet  went  merrily  to  the  strains  of  "  Guilderoy  " 
and  "Money  Musk."  And  in  the  midst  of  the  decorous 
festivities  Priest  Buell  came  aboard,  and  looked  on  with 
kindly  tolerance. 


366  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

It  was  a  picture  pleasant  to  look  at  —  if  one  could 
only  forget  —  for  the  officers  were  gorgeously  arrayed  in 
gold  and  scarlet,  and  not  all  the  guests  by  any  means  were 
dressed  in  homespun.  Such  a  ransacking  of  old  chests 
as  there  had  been  !  Such  a  bringing  to  light  of  fab 
rics  that  had  been  lying  for  years  wrapped  in  rose-leaves 
and  lavender,  their  very  existence  almost  forgotten  by 
their  owners,  so  little  call  had  there  been  for  anything 
so  fine  and  rare  !  And  then  such  ripping  and  refitting, 
such  planning  and  contriving  !  And  some  of  the  cos 
tumes  thus  evolved  were  worn  with  so  quaint  a  grace 
that  more  than  one  young  Briton  became  for  the  time  a 
conquered  foe. 

"If  we  had  been  each  a  princess  they  couldn't  have 
treated  us  with  more  deference,"  said  Amy  Mulford,  in 
describing  the  entertainment  to  Miss  Hitty  Hand.  "  But 
what  do  you  think  my  souvenir  was?  I  opened  the 
package  with  fear  and  trembling,  and  behold,  it  was  ten 
yards  of  English  print." 

"  Well,  I  hope  you  don't  intend  to  keep  it,"  said  Miss 
Hitty  with  patriotic  severitv. 

"  Indeed  I  do,"  answered  Amy.  "  I  intend  to  pass  it 
down  to  my  grandchildren  as  a  trophy  won  in  war  by  the 
arts  of  peace."  l 

Early  the  next  day  Betty  ran  in.  "  O  Meg,  you  don't 
know  what  you  missed  !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  We  never 
had  anything  to  equal  it.  And  the  lieutenant  —  oh,  the 

1  Many  a  legend  connected  with  this  reception  and  the  gifts  presented  to  the 
guests  has  been  handed  down  among  the  old  Easthampton  families.  The  author  is 
indebted  for  the  story  to  a  descendant  of  Ezekiel  Mulford. 


A   GALA  DAY.  367 

lieutenant  was  magnificent !  I  wish  you  could  have  seen 
him."  And  for  an  hour  Betty  babbled  on. 

Margaret  listened  with  girlish  interest,  and  her  face  lost 
something  of  its  sadness. 

"  It  must  indeed  have  been  pleasant/'  And  then  the 
shadow  came  back.  "  But,  O  Betty,  Betty,"  she  cried, 
"  to  think  of  those  other  ships  !  " 


368  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XLVI. 

TRAITOR    AND    SPY. 

DON'  know  's  I  ever  see  the  leaves  so  red  as  they 
be  this  fall,"  said  Olin  Dole.  "Look  at  that 
tangle  o'  wild  blackberries,  red  's  if  there'd  be'n  a  battle 
fought  there  !  An'  that  woodbine  runnin'  up  that  cedar's 
redder  yet.  'Tain't  a  good  sign.  Some  folks  seem  to 
think  the  war's  kind  o'  drawin'  to  an  end,  but's  my  "pinion 
we're  goin'  to  have  more  bloodshed." 

"  Oh!  stop  your  croakin',  Ole,"  said  his  friend  Silas. 
"  Trouble  with  you  is  you  can't  see  but  one  thing  at  a 
time.  Now,  the  way  I  look  at  it,  there's  jus'  as  much 
white  as  there  is  red  ;  and  if  you're  goin'  in  for  signs,  you 
might  as  well  take  one  thing  as  another.  See  that  great 
patch  of  Ingin  posy  yunder,  white  as  snow ;  an'  look  at 
the  blue  overhead,  man.  See?  Well,  there  you  have 
it,  the  red,  white,  and  blue,  an'  them  three  colors  together's 
what's  goin'  to  win.  And  then  there's  the  stars.  1's 
lookin'  at  'em  only  las'  night.  You  know  'twas  putty 
lowerin'  the  firs'  o'  the  evenin'.  Well,  I's  kind  o'  gazin' 
up  to  see  what  'twas  goin'  to  do,  an'  all  of  a  sudden  there 
come  a  break  in  the  clouds,  and  there  in  the  middle  was 
thirteen  stars  a-shinin'  down.  I  numbered  'em  over  twice 
to  make  sure ;  and  then  the  clouds  begun  to  curl  back 


TRAITOR.  AND  SPY.  369 

their  edges,  an'  'twasn't  long  'fore  the  stars  was  comin' 
faster'n  I  could  count  'em ;  an'  that,  too,  I  take  it,  is  a 
sign.  Some  folks  think  thirteen  's  an  onlucky  number, 
but  the  colonies  ain't  goin'  to  be  thirteen  al'ays.  They 
ain't  got  to  their  limit  yet,  not  by  a  long  shot.  I'm  goin' 
in  here,"  he  added,  halting  at  the  Thurstons'  gate. 
"  I've  got  sompin'  to  tell  'em  —  sompin'  they'll  be  mighty 
sorry  to  hear.  Come  along  in  if  you  want  to." 

Margaret  and  her  grandfather  were  sitting  on  the 
porch,  Margaret  with  her  knitting,  and  the  old  man  with 
a  book. 

"Ah,  Silas,"  said  the  Quaker,  "  thou'rt  just  in  time 
to  hear  what  Friend  Fox  saith  concerning  —  what!  the 
young  major !  Art  sure  thou  hast  been  rightly  in 
formed,  Silas?"  For  Silas,  intent  on  his  tidings,  had 
not  waited  to  hear  the  message  from  Fox. 

"  That's  what  they  say  ;  that  he's  been  took  as  a  spy. 
An'  that  ain't  the  worst  of  it.  They  say't  Gen'ra.1 
Benedict  Arnold  was  in  league  with  him." 

"  O  Silas,  Silas,  you  surely  are  not  in  earnest !  "  cried 
Margaret,  her  face  white  with  horror. 

"I  only  wish  I  wasn't;  but  the  way  the  news  come 
there  ain't  much  room  for  jokin'  about  it.  Cap'n  Wick- 
ham  got  word  somehow  to  ol'  Squire  Osborn,  an'  I  had 
it  from  him.  We  ain't  got  all  the  pertic'lars  :  but  it  seems 
they  were  plannin'  to  hand  over  West  Point  an'  the  High 
lands  to  the  British,  an'  they  say  Gen'ral  Clinton's  doing 
everything  under  the  heavens  to  git  the  major  pardoned. 
But'tain't  likely  Gen'al  Washington's  forgot  the  way  they 
treated  young  Cap'n  Hale." 


370  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Against  the  azure  sky  a  maple-tree  stretched  out  a 
golden  banner,  and  at  intervals  a  ripe  leaf  parted  from 
it,  and  dropped  like  a  dead  butterfly  through  the  wind 
less  air;  not  even  the  throbbing  of  the  surf  was  audible. 
The  stillness  was  so  intense  that  to  Margaret  it  seemed 
as  if  nature  itself  were  listening  for  the  sentence. 

It  was  not  possible  that  one  apparently  so  friendly  and 
sincere  had  been  guilty  of  anything  worthy  of  death  ! 
And  Arnold  ! 

"  Oh,  that  he  had  perished  with  Wooster  !  "  she  cried. 
"  Then  his  country  would  have  held  him  always  in 
honor  as  one  of  the  bravest  of  her  patriots.  But  now !  " 

"  O  war  !  war  !  these  are  thy  fruits  !  :'  moaned  the  old 
Quaker.  "But  let  us  not  talk  of  it;  it  is  too  terrible, 
and  possibly  it  may  yet  be  contradicted." 

But  already  the  young  major  had  paid  the  penalty  of 
his  bold  intrigue,  and  the  traitor's  name  had  become 
linked  for  all  time  with  that  of  Judas  Iscariot. 

"  We  have  had  a  letter  from  Nathaniel,"  said  Colonel 
Gardiner,  a  fortnight  later.  "  He  writes  that,  in  com 
pany  with  Colonel  Tallmadge,  he  spent  the  night  before 
the  execution  with  Major  Andre,  in  his  prison.1  It  was 
their  first  and  last  meeting.  lie  says  that  the  major  ac 
cepted  his  sentence  manfully.  Ah,  he  was  a  royal  fel 
low.  It  seems  a  great  pity  that  he  couldn't  have  been 
pardoned." 

"  Ay — and  yet,"  said  the  old  Quaker,  "  the  sentence 
was  doubtless  just — -according  to  the  usages  of  war." 

1  This  is  a  well-authenticated  fact.  Colonel  Tallmadge  was  an  East  End  man, 
being  a  native  of  Setauket. 


A   WOUNDED  ENEMY.  371 


CHAPTER   XLVII. 

A    WOUNDED    ENEMY. 

A  LL  that  winter  Admiral  Arbuthnot  remained  in  Gar- 
-T~x  diner's  Bay,  and  proved  so  pleasant  a  neighbor 
that  when,  with  the  approach  of  spring,  it  was  found  that 
the  fleet  was  preparing  to  weigh  anchor,  the  villagers 
were  seized  with  the  fear  that  troops  less  friendly  might 
be  sent  to  take  its  place.  The  British,  however,  just  at 
this  time  had  matters  of  too  great  importance  in  hand  to 
admit  of  their  keeping  much  of  a  force  at  the  East  End, 
and  comparatively  few  soldiers  were  seen  in  the  place 
during  the  following  spring  and  summer. 

"  This  monotony  is  dreadful,"  sighed  Betty  Osgood. 

She  had  been  out  with  Margaret  .and  Deborah,  with 
old  Neb  for  a  protector,  gathering  bayberries  for  can 
dles —  the  scarcity  of  tallow  had  made  the  bayberries 
a  boon ;  and  as  they  were  passing  Nat  Dominy's  shop 
Margaret  remembered  that  her  grandfather  had  asked 
her  to  leave  a  message  in  regard  to  the  new  clock. 

"  Don't  wait  for  me,"  she  said.  "  I  sha'n't  mind  go 
ing  the  rest  of  the  way  alone."  And  as  it  was  nearing 
dinner-time,  the  girls  went  on. 

"If  the  war  lasts  much  longer  the  clock  will  be  old 
before  it's  done,"  said  Mr.  Dominy,  when  Margaret  had 


3/2  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

told  her  errand.  "I  want  to  put  a  rising  sun  over  the 
dial;  but  here  I  am  —  neither  paint  nor  picture,  and  not 
even  a  pane  of  glass  to  be  had  this  side  of  York,  nor  a 
hand  of  any  kind,  brass  or  steel." 

"  The  war  keeps  everything  waiting,"  answered  Mar 
garet  with  a  sigh. 

As  she  turned  to  go  she  caught  sight  of  two  men  in 
officers'  uniforms  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  and 
saw  to  her  dismay  that  they  were  crossing  over.  There 
was  no  way  of  exit  by  which  she  could  escape  them  ; 
but  close  beside  her  stood  the  tall  clock-case,  and  with 
a  whispered  warning  to  Mr.  Dominy,  she  slipped  inside. 
As  the  case  had  not  been  boarded  up  at  the  back,  she 
found  ample  room  for  her  slender  figure  ;  and  she  had 
scarcely  closed  the  door  when  she  heard  the  men  enter 
the  shop. 

"  My  friend  here  wishes  to  order  a  clock  to  take  to 
England,"  said  one  of  them  in  a  bantering  tone  ;  and 
Margaret  at  once  recognized  the  voice  as  that  of  Lieu 
tenant  Burton. 

"Ay,  ay,"  responded  the  other;  "I  want  it  as  a 
trophy  to  show  the  home  folk  what  sort  of  rebels  we've 
conquered." 

"  Maybe  it  would  be  as  well  to  wait  till  you  finish  up 
the  job  before  giving  your  order,"  said  the  clockmaker 
dryly.  "Perhaps  by  that  time  it'll  be  easier  to  get 
materials." 

"  Oh  !  we're  near  enough  to  ;t  "  retorted  the  man  con 
fidently.  "I  fancy  you  benighted  natives  down  at  this 
end  of  the  Island  haven't  yet  heard  what  we've  been 


A    WOUNDED   ENEMY.  373 

doing  at  the  South.  Lord  Cormvallis  has  swept  every 
thing  before  him,  and  'twon't  be  long  till  his  Majesty's 
troops  have  full  dominion." 

"Come,  come,  Ilowson,  keep  your  boasts  for  another 
day,"  protested  the  lieutenant.  "  Can  you  tell  us  where 
we  can  find  two  good  horses  to  carry  us  to  the  Harbor?  " 
he  asked,  turning  to  Dominy.  "We  are  in  haste  to  get 
across  to  New  London." 

Mr.  Dominy  picked  up  a  file  from  the  work-bench, 
and  poked  it  reflectively  through  his  iron-gray  locks. 

"  Horses  have  become  a  skerce  article  on  the  East 
End,"  he  said.  "  But  they  have  a  team  at  the  tavern 
that  perhaps  might  answer  your  purpose.  A  trifle  slow, 
maybe,  but  as  sure  as  an  hour-hand  in  getting  to  their 
destination." 

"Bah!  we  know  all  about  tavern  horses,"  sneered 
Captain  Ilowson.  "  Might  as  well  saddle  a  pair  of 
sawbucks.  I  fancy  if  we  take  the  trouble  to  look  about 
we  shall  be  able  to  find  something  a  little  more  to  our 
mind." 

At  that  Margaret  remembered  with  a  start  that  she  had 
given  Rick  leave  to  take  Lion  to  the  pond  to  water  him  ; 
and  while  she  was  longing  for  the  power  to  immaterialize 
herself,  she  discovered  behind  the  clock  a  window  that 
looked  into  Mr.  Dominy's  vegetable  garden.  Happily 
it  was  open,  and  the  next  moment  she  was  flying  home 
ward. 

And  it  was  none  too  soon,  for  there  was  Rick  leading 
Lion  to  the  bars. 

"Back,  Rick,  back!"  she  cried.       "The  redcoats 


374  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

are  coming  !  "  But  Lord  Lion,  at  the  sound  of  her  voice, 
pulled  away  from  his  little  groom,  and  clearing  the  bars 
at  a  bound,  came  prancing  and  whinnying  to  meet  her. 

"  Let  down  the  bars,  Rick,  quick  !  "  she  called.  But 
the  two  officers  were  not  far  behind  her,  and  Captain 
Howson  had  already  caught  sight  of  Lion. 

"  Aw,  there's  just  the  animal  I  want!"  she  heard  him 
exclaim.  "  Egad,  but  he's  a  beauty  !  " 

"Hold,  captain!"  cried  the  lieutenant.  "That  one 
belongs  to  a  lady,  and  Sir  William  Erskine  when  in  com 
mand  here  gave  strict  orders  that  no  one  was  to  meddle 
with  him." 

"  A  fig  for  Sir  William's  orders  !  "  flouted  the  captain. 
"  If  he  wanted  them  obeyed,  he  should  have  stayed  where 
he  could  see  to  enforcing  them."  And  hurrying  forward, 
he  laid  a  rough  hand  on  Lion's  halter. 

The  lieutenant  made  haste  to  overtake  him,  but  Cap 
tain  Howson  was  a  man  who  brooked  no  interference 
from  an  inferior. 

"  Stand  back,  sir,  if  you  please,"  he  said  curtly.  "  I'll 
take  the  responsibility  of  this." 

But  Lord  Lion,  too,  was  one  who  resented  any  inter 
ference —  from  an  inferior;  and  throwing  up  his  head 
with  a  snort,  he  made  a  dash  for  the  barnyard,  leaving 
the  gallant  captain  gazing  after  him  empty  handed. 

"  Can  you  tell  me  what  this  means,  Lieutenant  Bur 
ton?"  asked  Margaret. 

"  Pardon  me,  but  —  my  friend,  Captain  Howson,  Miss 
Neale,"  stammered  the  unhappy  lieutenant.  "We  are 
in  want  of  horses  to  take  us  to  the  Harbor,  and  at  the 


A    WOUNDED  ENEMY.  375 

sight  of  Lord  Lion  my  friend —  lost  his  heart,"  he  ended 
with  a  smile. 

"  Oh  !  for  that  purpose  you  will  have  no  difficulty,  I 
think,  in  getting  horses  at  the  inn,"  answered  Margaret 
with  quiet  dignity.  And  then,  as  if  the  matter  were  set 
tled,  she  stooped  to  lift  the  end  of  the  bar  that  Rick  was 
trying  to  put  in  its  socket. 

The  lieutenant  sprang  forward  to  help  her. 

"Wait  one  moment,"  cried  the  captain.  "We  are 
expected  in  Connecticut  to-night ;  and  unless  we  have 
horses  that  can  make  better  time  than  those  kept  at  the 
inn,  we  shall  miss  our  boat/' 

"  I  am  sorry  to  seem  ungracious,"  said  Margaret, 
straightening  herself,  "but"' 

"There's  no  time  to  waste  on  ceremony,"  interposed 
Captain  Howson,  with  a  curtness  that  made  Burton  grit 
his  teeth.  "I  must  have  the  horse  saddled  at  once.  I 
only  wish  you  had  two  of  them." 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  Howson,  wait  until  we  have 
looked  elsewhere,"  urged  the  lieutenant.  "This  is  no 
way  to  treat  a  lady,"  he  added  in  an  undertone. 

The  captain  turned  on  him  with  an  oath.  "Go  find 
yourself  a  horse,  and  be  quick  about  it,  or  Til  have  you 
reported  for  wilful  delay."  And  the  lieutenant  discreetly 
hurried  off. 

Margaret,  meanwhile,  had  stepped  across  the  lower 
bar,  and  shoved  the  others  into  place.  But  Captain 
Howson  vaulted  over  without  seeming  to  see  her. 

c* 

"Come,  boy,  bring  out  that  horse,"  he  cried,  snap 
ping  his  \vhip-lash  over  Rick's  head.  But  Rick,  who 


376  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

had  shut  the  stable-door  and  planted  himself  against  it, 
remained  as  immovable  as  a  bronze  statue. 

"Pardon  me,"  said  Margaret,  putting  herself  beside 
Rick,  "the  boy  is  not  used  to  receiving  orders  from  a 
stranger." 

"  Then,  it's  high  time  he  learned  to  do  it  when  the 
stranger  is  one  in  authority,"  returned  the  captain  loftily. 
"Stand  aside,  will  you?"  this  to  Rick,  who  had  boldly 
stepped  in  front  of  Margaret.  But  the  boy  did  not  stir. 

"  Yo'  Rick!  what  yo's  up  to  now?"  called  Ilagar 
from  the  back  door. 

"  I's  'tectin'  my  girl,"  answered  Rick,  drawing  up  his 
small  figure.  "  Don'  yo'  be  af eared,  Miss  Marge.  I 
isn't  goin'  to  let  'im  hurt  yo'."  And  by  that  time  Ilagar 
had  taken  in  the  situation,  and  snatching  up  her  broom 
stick,  she  made  a  dash  for  the  stable. 

And  now  the  opposing  force  began  to  look  somewhat 
formidable.  The  captain,  as  he  contemplated  it,  mut 
tered  several  unpleasant  words.  But  at  that  moment 
Mistress  Prudence  appeared,  and  he  knew  at  a  glance 
that  she  was  on  his  side. 

"Pray,  what  is  the  meaning  of  this  disturbance?" 
she  asked,  turning  to  the  trio  of  guards  in  front  of  the 
stable-door,  after  a  reverential  courtesy  to  the  wearer  of 
the  red  uniform. 

But  the  captain  preferred  to  explain  for  himself. 

"I  have  simply  asked  the  loan  of  a  horse,  madam, 
being  in  haste  to  get  to  the  Harbor ;  and  if  you  have 
any  authority  over  this  boy,  I  trust  you  will  order  him 
to  lead  out  the  animal  at  once." 


A    WOUNDED   ENEMY.  377 

"  Do  you  hear  what  the  gentleman  says?"  And  Pru 
dence  seized  Rick  by  the  shoulder,  and  gave  him  a  vig 
orous  shake. 

"  But  it  is  Lord  Lion  he  wants,  Aunt  Prudence," 
said  Margaret. 

"And  is  Lord  Lion  too  good,  I  should  like  to  know, 
to  be  ridden  by  one  of  his  Majesty's  officers?  I  should 
feel  honored  in  having  him  put  to  such  a  use  if  he  were 
mine." 

Before  Margaret  could  reply,  her  grandfather  had 
joined  the  group,  coining  noiselessly  from  behind  the 
barn. 

"Friend,  what  is  thy  errand?"  he  inquired,  calmly 
facing  the  angry  officer.  And  when  the  captain,  with 
added  energy,  had  restated  the  case,  the  old  man  turned 
to  Rick. 

"Rick,  go  in  and  saddle  the  horse."  Rick,  with  his 
white-rimmed  eyes,  flashed  back  an  understanding 
glance.  In  the  family  Lord  Lion  was  still  called  the 
colt ;  and  presently,  while  the  old  Quaker  was  suavely 
"  thouing "  the  officer  with  inquiries  concerning  the 
progress  of  the  war,  Rick,  who,  small  as  he  was,  had 
learned  to  manage  a  saddle,  triumphantly  led  out  old 
Vic. 

"That's  not  the  beast  I  ordered,  you  little  imp!" 
thundered  the  captain,  white  with  rage. 

"Nay,  friend;  but  such  as  he  is,  thou'rt  welcome  to 
"iim,"  answered  the  Quaker  with  exasperating  mildness. 
•  He  will  carry  thee  safely  to  the  Harbor,  and  thou  canst 
jave  him  at  Friend  Coleman's." 


378  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

But  the  captain,  with  another  oath,  wheeled  about,  and 
sprung  over  the  bars. 

"  No  wonder  he  is  angered  !  "  Prudence  exclaimed,  as 
he  rushed  across  the  street.  "  To  have  a  trick  like  that 
put  upon  him  !  " 

"  But  thou  knowest,  Prudence,  that  the  colt  is  not 
accustomed  to  having  strangers  ride  him." 

•"  Then  it  is  high  time  he  was  broken  to  it,"  answered 
Prudence. 

"  Put  the  horse  back  in  his  stall,  Rick,"  said  the  old 
man,  "  since  the  stranger  is  not  suited  with  him." 

But  Rick  had  barely  started  to  lead  Vic  to  the  stable, 
when  the  captain  reappeared,  accompanied  by  Colonel 
Gardiner. 

"  I  came  to  see  if  you  would  be  kind  enough  to  loan 
Lord  Lion  to  this  gentleman  for  a  few  hours,"  said  the 
colonel,  addressing  Margaret.  "  He  is  in  haste  to  reach 
the  Harbor,  and  good  roadsters  are  not  easy  to  find  now 
adays.  I  have  just  loaned  my  own  saddle-horse  to  Lieu 
tenant  Burton.  Tobe  is  going  along  to  bring  him  home 
from  the  Harbor  ;  and  if  you  are  willing  to  let  Lord  Lion 
go,  the  boy  can  bring  both  of  them  back." 

"  It  depends  chiefly  on  Lord  Lion's  willingness,"  re 
plied  Margaret,  heartily  wishing  that  the  colonel  had 
stayed  away.  "  He  is  not  apt  to  take  kindly  to  stran 
gers." 

"I'll  risk  being  able  to  manage  him,"  said  the  cap 
tain,  stiffly.  "I  have  never  yet  seen  the  horse  that  I 
was  not  able  to  master,  whether  he  fancied  me  or  not." 

"I  promise  to  be   responsible   for   his   safe   return," 


A    WOUNDED    ENEMY.  3/9 

urged  the  colonel;  "  and  the  captain,  I  am  sure,  is  too 
good  a  horseman  to  have  any  trouble  with  him." 

Margaret  without  a  word  beckoned  to  Rick,  and  went 
with  him  to  the  stable.  But  when  Lord  Lion  was  -led 
out,  saddled  and  bridled,  he  began  to  rear  and  plunge 
the  moment  the  stranger  approached  him  ;  and  it  was  not 
until  Margaret  had  reasoned  with  him  that  he  grew  quiet 
enough  to  be  mounted. 

The  captain  in  his  haste  dropped  his  whip. 

"  It  may  be  well  for  thee  to  remember  that  he  is  not 
used  to  either  lash  or  spur,"  cautioned  the  old  Quaker. 

"  He  will  doubtless  become  used  to  them  by  the  time 
we  reach  the  Harbor,"  snarled  the  captain.  "  Boy, 
hand  me  that  whip." 

Rick  picked  up  the  whip,  and  eyed  it  admiringly. 
"  Dat's  a  mighty  line  one,  marse,"  he  said,  giving  it  an 
innocent  little  flourish  as  he  restored  it  to  the  stranger. 

The  next  instant  Lord  Lion's  heels  were  in  the  air ; 
and  before  his  rider  had  adapted  himself  to  this  unex 
pected  posture,  his  lordship  had  reversed  matters,  and 
was,  as  Rick  expressed  it,  "  stan'in'  straight  on  his  tail." 
The  captain  was  really  too  skilful  a  horseman  to  be 
easily  vanquished  ;  but  Lion  had  now  begun  to  practise 
his  war-dance,  and  presently  the  boastful  Briton  found 
himself  seated  on  the  ground. 

"  I'll  master  the  brute  if  I  have  to  break  his  neck  in 
doing  it,"  he  declared,  clutching  savagely  at  the  bridle. 
But  as  he  spoke  Lieutenant  Burton  dashed  up  on  Cap 
tain  Mulford's  roan,  while  behind  him  came  Tobe,  lead 
ing  the  colonel's  horse. 


380  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Here,  Captain,  here  are  two  line  animals,  and  you 
can  take  your  choice,"  he  cried.  "It's  an  ill  time  to 
undertake  to  break  a  colt,  just  as  one  is  starting  on  a 
journey,  especially  if  one's  in  any  haste." 

The  captain's  only  answer  was  an  oath.  He  was  still 
bent  on  conquering  Lion. 

"  And  unless  we  hasten,"  added  the  lieutenant,  "  I'm 
afraid  we  shall  find  no  boat  to  take  us  across." 

Lord  Lion  was  backing  toward  the  stable,  with  th< 
captain  hanging  to  the  halter.  Lord  Lion  never  in 
dulged  in  viciousness.  It  is  a  mean-spirited  animal 
that  condescends  to  bite  and  kick.  When  Lord  Lion 
objected  to  a  person,  he  simply  gave  him  to  understand 
that  he  preferred  to  have  him  keep  at  a  respectful 
distance. 

"Perhaps  he  would  be  more  willing  to  submit  to 
Lieutenant  Burton,"  said  Margaret,  demurely.  "  lie 
is  somewhat  acquainted  with  the  lieutenant." 

The  captain  glared  at  her;   but  time  was  flying. 

"Then  let  the  lieutenant  mount  him  !"  he  cried.  "lie 
will  have  to  submit  to  one  or  other  of  us.  I'm  not  going 
to  leave  him  behind,  I  can  tell  you  that.  He  is  just  the 
horse  I  want.  When  I  have  once  conquered  him,  he  will 
know  his  master ;  and  instead  of  borrowing  him  I  am 
going  to  buy  him,  so  you  will  please  name  your  price." 

Margaret  listened  to  this  cool  statement  with  flashing 
eyes.  But  a  cry  from  Lieutenant  Burton  arrested  her 
retort.  As  he  was  about  to  dismount,  the  roan  had 
shied,  and  he  had  come  to  the  ground  with  his  foot 
doubled  under  him. 


A   WOUNDED  ENEMY.  381 

"  I'm  afraid  I'm  done  for,  Captain,"  he  groaned,  try 
ing  in  vain  to  straighten  his  leg. 

"Nonsense,  man!"  remonstrated  the  captain  with  in 
creasing  wrath.  "  What  sort  of  a  soldier  are  you  to  let 
yourself  be  disabled  by  a  little  tumble  like  that?  Come, 
we  must  start  at  once." 

The  lieutenant  made  another  effort  to  rise,  but  grew 
\vhite  to  the  lips  with  pain. 

"  It's  no  use,  Captain,"  he  said,  steadying  himself 
against  the  hitching-post.  "You  will  have  to  go  with 
out  me.  If  it  isn't  fractured  it  is  badly  sprained  ;  and  in 
either  case  I'm  crippled  for  to-day,  at  least." 

The  captain  fell  to  swearing  again. 

"  Pity  you  couldn't  have  taken  some  other  time  for 
your  accident,"  he  jeered.  "  But  since  you're  bound  to 
stay,  keep  an  eye  on  that  animal,  will  you?  As  soon 
as  this  affair  at  New  Lon'on  is  over  with  I  shall  be  back 
for  him."  And  mounting  the  colonel's  horse  he  set  off 
on  a  gallop,  without  even  the  formality  of  a  parting  bow. 

"  He's  a  boor,"  said  the  lieutenant,  under  his  breath, 
to  Margaret;  while  the  colonel  called  to  Tobe,  and 
charged  him  to  follow  on  as  fast  as  possible,  and  not  to 
fail  to  bring  back  the  horse. 

And  now  Prudence  turned  her  attention  to  the  lieu 
tenant.  In  spite  of  her  shrewish  disposition  she  was  an 
excellent  nurse  ;  and  finding  that  he  was  unable  to  help 
himself,  she  had  him  taken  at  once  to  the  house.  For 
ordinary  ailments  she  had  a  store  of  simples  on  hand, 
with  no  end  of  salves  and  liniments  of  her  own  com 
pounding,  and  was  skilled  in  dressing  burns  and  wounds  ; 


382  AN  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

but  the  lieutenant's  injury  baffled  her,  and  Dr.  Sage  was 
sent  for. 

"It  is  a  fractured  ankle,"  said  the  young  doctor; 
"  and  you're  fortunate  in  being  in  such  comfortable 
quarters,  for  the  probability  is  that  it  will  be  three  weeks 
at  least  before  you  will  be  able  to  walk ;  but  no  perma 
nent  harm  is  likely  to  result." 

"Thank  God!"  ejaculated  the  lieutenant  fervently. 
And  no  one  suspected  that  it  was  for  something  besides 
deliverance  from  the  fear  of  being  crippled  for  life  that 
he  was  giving  thanks. 

"Oh!  there  is  no  danger  whatever,"  the  doctor  added 
confidently.  "With  proper  care  it  will  soon  be  as  sound 
as  before."  His  eyes  were  following  Margaret  as  he 
spoke  ;  and  looking  from  his  fair  young  countrywoman 
to  the  handsome  lieutenant,  it  occurred  to  him  that  it 
would  be  nothing  strange  if  a  romance  resulted  from  this 
episode,  and  he  was  distinctly  conscious  that  the  possi 
bility  was  not  quite  to  his  liking. 

Margaret  would  have  preferred  to  have  the  young 
officer  taken  elsewhere,  but  her  aunt  protested  that  it. 
would  be  a  breach  of  hospitality  ;  and  seeing  that  her 
grandfather  wras  inclined  to  agree  with  her,  the  girl  tried 
to  make  the  best  of  it. 

Meanwhile  Colonel  Gardiner  was  watching  anxiously 
for  Tobe ;  but  it  was  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  before 
he  came. 

"Where's  the  horse?"  asked  the  colonel,  for  the  boy 
was  on  foot.  "  Didn't  you  get  there  before  the  boat 
started?" 


A   WOUNDED  ENEMY.  383 

"  Yes'ir,  Marse  Ab'am,  I  obertooked  'im  on  de  warve  ; 
but  yo'  see  dat  cap'n,  he  say  he  want  'o  keep  'im  till  he 
kim  ag'in,  so  he  jus',  ship  'im  'board  de  boat,  an'  der 
wa'n't  no  way  I  could  git  'im  'cept  I  shoot  de  cap'n,  an' 
I  didn't  hab  no  orders  fo'  dat,  'sides  not  habin'  no  gun." 

"  Oh  !  he'll  doubtless  bring  him  home  all  right,  Tobe," 
answered  the  colonel  with  forced  optimism.  But  the 
horse  never  saw  his  own  stall  again. 


384  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 


CHAPTER   XLVIII. 

A    BLACK    CLOUD. 

r  I^HE  lieutenant  —  though  Mistress  Prudence  ex- 
-L  hausted  her  resources  in  trying  to  entertain  him, 
and  Poll,  the  parrot,  at  every  mention  of  King  George 
shrieked  loyally,  "God  save  the  King!"  -began  be 
fore  the  day  ended  to  find  his  duress  wearisome.  In  his 
heart  he  could  not  help  charging  Margaret  with  deliber 
ate  cruelty  in  leaving  him  to  the  tender  mercies  of  Mrs. 
Golby  ;  for  Margaret,  on  hearing  the  doctor's  opinion, 
had  withdrawn  in  haste,  dismayed  at  the  prospect  of 
having  the  lieutenant  in  the  house  for  three  long  weeks. 
Why  was  he  not  taken  to  the  colonel's?  lie  surely 
could  have  been  carried  that  distance  without  being 
harmed.  While  she  was  lamenting  matters,  her  Cousin 
Betty  came  tripping  in.  Betty  had  heard  nothing  of  the 
accident ;  and  to  find  the  young  lieutenant  stretched  on 
the  settle,  and  the  room  pervaded  with  a  suggestion  of 
drugs,  was  a  surprise  that  drove  all  the  color  from  her 
cheeks. 

The  patient  beamed  a  welcome  ;  and  presently  Mis 
tress  Prudence,  finding  herself  in  the  background,  stiffly 
withdrew,  and  Poll  at  once  ceased  her  clamor ;  while 
Margaret,  having  prevailed  on  Betty  to  lay  aside  her  hat 


A   BLACK  CLOUD.  385 

and  mantle,  seated  herself  cosily  with  her  knitting.  With 
such  as  these  to  bear  him  company  the  lieutenant  felt 
that  he  could  bide  his  time  with  very  good  grace.  And 
as  Madge,  too,  considered  the  visit  a  godsend,  it  was 
almost  night  before  Betty  was  allowed  to  go. 

"  Pray  take  pity  on  your  cousin  and  come  again  to 
morrow,"  entreated  the  young  man,  with  an  urgency 
that  more  than  restored  her  lost  color,  and  sent  her  on 
her  way  with  a  thrill  at  her  heart. 

"  Oh,  do,  Betty  !  come  as  often  as  you  can,"  entreated 
Margaret,  going  with  her  to  the  gate.  "  It  is  hard  work 
to  entertain  an  invalid,  and  we  shall  want  all  the  help  we 
can  get,"  she  added,  feeling  that  Betty's  presence  would 
insure  her  own  safety.  It  did  not  occur  to  her  that  it 
might  involve  danger  for  any  one  else. 

The  air  was  refreshing  ;  and  Margaret,  glad  to  be  out, 
linked  her  arm  in  Betty's,  and  went  with  her  down  the 
grass-grown  street. 

"Look  what  a  strange,  dark  cloud!"  cried  Betty, 
pointing  northward.  "  I'm  afraid  a  storm  is  gathering." 

"  It  is  more  like  a  dense  mass  of  smoke,"  said  Mar 
garet,  in  a  startled  voice. 

As  they  were  passing  the  graveyard  Priest  Buell  over 
took  them. 

"What  can  it  be,  Mr.  Buell?"  asked  Margaret. 

"  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell,  my  child.  I  have 
been  studying  it  the  last  two  hours,  but  it  baffles  me.  It 
has  hung  there  all  the  afternoon  like  a  black  pall." 

Betty  suggested  that  it  might  be  caused  by  fire  at  the 
Harbor.  But  the  minister  shook  his  head. 


386  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  If  it  were  as  near  as  that  it  would  be  more  luminous. 
It  may  be  that  some  of  the  ships  on  the  Sound  have  taken 
fire,  but  an  entire  fleet  would  hardly  make  so  dense  a 
smoke." 

It  was  useless  to  conjecture,  and  with  a  vague  fear 
Margaret  said  good-night  and  turned  back.  When  she 
reached  the  house,  she  found  her  grandfather  in  the  yard 
watching  the  cloud. 

"  I  know  not  what  to  make  of  it,"  he  said.  "  Hagar 
called  my  attention  to  it,  fearing  that  a  tempest  was  com 
ing  ;  but  I  am  afraid  it  portends  something  more  than 
either  wind  or  rain." 

When  they  went  indoors  he  described  it  to  tire  lieu 
tenant. 

"  Good  God  !  So  soon  !  "  cried  the  young  man,  start 
ing  up  with  a  white  face. 

"  Nay,  thou  needst  not  fear  a  thunder-storm,"  said  the 
old  Quaker.  "Friend  Franklin's  kite  would  draw  no 
lightning  from  a  cloud  like  that.  It  hovers  above  the 
horizon  like  the  black  vapor  that  I  remember  in  my 
boyhood  hung  day  and  night  over  the  city  of  London." 

The  lieutenant  fell  back  with  a  stifled  moan  ;  and  Mar 
garet,  apprehensive  that  his  foot  was  paining  him,  hast 
ened  to  readjust  the  cushions. 

During  the  evening  several  of  the  neighbors  came 
in,  and  each  had  some  comment  to  offer  concerning  the 
cloud. 

"  There  is  no  fire  at  the  Harbor,"  said  Squire  Osborn. 
"  I  met  Big  Sam  just  at  dusk  returning  from  there,  and 
he  says  that  it  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  Sound." 


A  BLACK  CLOUD.  387 

The  next  morning  the  cloud  had  lifted. 

"  Guess  it'll  turn  out  'twasn't  anything  more  'n  a  big 
fog-bank,"  said  Silas  Post. 

But  early  the  following  day  Ben  Coleman  came  hurry 
ing  from  the  Harbor  with  woful  tidings.  New  London 
had  been  burned  to  the  ground,  and  the  garrison  in  Fort 
Griswold  butchered  in  cold  blood. 

Since  the  day  that  their  own  doom  was  pronounced,  no 
event  in  the  progress  of  the  war  had  caused  such  horror 
apd  consternation  throughout  the  East  End,  for  many  of 
the  East  End  families  had  taken  refuge  in  New  London. 
It  aroused  also  a  fear  for  their  own  safety ;  for  rumor 
said  that  it  was  the  archtraitor,  Benedict  Arnold,  who, 
carrying  fire  and  sword  into  his  native  State,  had  reduced 
the  town  to  ashes  ;  and  what  was  to  prevent  this  unnat 
ural  foe,  in  the  absence  of  the  kindly  enemy  who  might 
have  protected  them,  from  making  a  bonfire  of  every 
village  and  hamlet  on  the  East  End? 

o 

When  the  lieutenant  heard  the  story,  he  turned  his 
face  to  the  wall  with  a  groan. 

"So  it  was  for  this  that  Captain  Ilowson  was  in  such 
haste  to  cross  the  Sound  !  "  cried  Margaret,  carried  out 
of  herself  with  indignation;  "for  this  vile  errand  that 
he  wanted  my  Lord  Lion  to  speed  him  on  his  way  ! 
And  you  knew  of  it,  Lieutenant  Burton?" 

"Ay,  I  knew  of  it ;  and  for  that  reason  I  gave  devout 
thanks  when  I  found  myself  disabled.  It  was  a  devilish 
project,  and  my  whole  heart  was  set  against  it.  But  — 
I  was  under  orders,  and  I  shudder  to  think  that  but  for 
this  blessed  accident  I  should  have  been  forced  to  take 


388  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

part  in  it.  If  you  doubt  me,  you  will  be  justified  in  not 
letting  me  remain  another  hour  under  your  roof." 

Margaret  listened  to  him  without  taking  her  eyes  from 
his  face.  She  was  a  good  reader  of  character,  and  from 
her  first  acquaintance  with  him  she  had  been  impressed 
with  his  boyish  honest-heartedness. 

"  I  believe  you,"  she  said  gravely  ;  and  the  lieutenant 
in  his  gratitude  would  have  kissed  the  hem  of  her  home 
spun  gown  had  it  been  within  his  reach. 

Later  it  was  learned  that  the  day  following  the  mas 
sacre  at  Groton  a  company  of  those  that  had  been 
engaged  in  it  had  crossed  the  Sound  and  landed  at 
Oysterponds,  where  their  disorderly  conduct  had  caused 
for  the  time  a  reign  of  terror. 

"They  went  to  Vail's  Inn,"  said  Captain  Mulford, 
who  was  relating  the  affair,  "  and  carried  on  like  de 
mons.  Mrs.  Vail  happened  to  see  them  before  they 
reached  the  house ;  and  remembering  that  there  were 
two  hogsheads  of  cider  in  the  cellar,  she  hurried  down 
and  knocked  out  the  bungs.  Then,  having  managed  to 
overturn  the  hogsheads,  she  went  bravely  upstairs  to 
meet  the  soldiers.  They  came  in  smeared  with  blood, 
and,  brandishing  their  swords,  muttered  vengeance  on 
American  rebels.  They  bound  Mr.  Vail,  and  confined 
him  in  the  garret,  and  after  ransacking  every  closet  and 
pantry  for  something  to  drink,  went  to  the  cellar.  There 
they  discovered  the  cider  flooding  the  floor,  and  rushing 
back,  they  demanded  to  know  why  they  had  been  de 
frauded  in  this  way.  '  Because,'  answered  Mrs.  Vail, 
*  you  are  the  enemies  of  my  country.  You  have  no  busi- 


A   BLACK  CLOUD.  389 

ness  here,  and  you  will  not  eat  in  this  house  if  I  can 
prevent  it.  She  had  expected  violence  ;  but  her  courage 
overawed  them,  and  with  a  volley  of  oaths  they  marched 
away." 

"  Oh  !  the  Long  Island  women  can't  be  beat  for  brav 
ery,"  said  Silas  Post.  "  I  heard  Priest  Buell  tellin' 
t'other  day  about  Mrs.  Constant  L'Hommedieu  over  to 
Southold.  It  seems  the  crews  of  two  whaleboats,  twenty 
in  all,  landed  there ;  an'  after  goin'  to  Peck's  Inn  an' 
gettin'  putty  well  filled  with  liquor,  they  went  to  Mr. 
L'Hommedieu's,  where  they  acted  so  like  heathen  that 
Mr.  L'Hommedieu  in  a  mild  way  took  'em  to  task.  That 
made  'em  mad,  and  the  leader  rushed  at  him  with 
his  cutlass.  But  Mrs.  L'Hommedieu  threw  herself  be 
tween  'em,  an'  saved  her  husband's  life  by  takin'  the  blow 
on  her  bare  arm.  An'  there  was  Major  John  Corwin's 
wife,  over  to  Mattituck  —  she  was  a  Mapes,  you  know, 
before  she  married.  One  mornin'  a  party  o'  soldiers 
rode  up  to  the  house,  an'  demanded  o'  Mrs.  Corwin  — 
her  husband  didn't  happen  to  be  home  —  some  grain  for 
their  horses,  the  officer  in  command  threatenin'  to  send 
her  to  destruction  if  she  dared  to  refuse.  But  she  coolly 
tol'  him  that  she  hadn't  no  food  for  him  or  his  animals. 
'  Well,'  says  he,  with  a  swearin'  oath,  '  here's  a  nice 
piece  o'  wheat  across  the  road ;  that'll  answer  for  our 
horses.'  An'  with  that  he  made  for  the  bars.  But  he 
didn't  know  the  sort  o'  woman  he  was  dealin'  with. 
'  The  first  horse  that  enters  that  field,'  says  she,  '  I'll 
shoot  dead  on  the  spot.'  An'  with  that  she  grabbed  her 
husband's  ol'  King's  arm  that  stood  loaded  behind  the 


39°  <4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

door,  an'  took  aim.  An'  there  wasn't  a  spear  o'  that 
wheat  touched ;  an'  though  I'll  wager  there  was  some 
cursin'  done,  they  went  away  praisin'  her  courage.  An' 
there's  Mis'  Jessup,  over  on  the  hill ;  a  party  of  soldiers 
out  on  a  foragin'  expedition  stopped  to  her  house  t'other 
day,  an'  foun'  't  she  had  a  fine  berry  puddin'  on  the  fire 
cookin'  for  dinner.  '  Hurray,  boys !  '  some  of  'em 
shouted  to  the  rest,  '  come  on  !  We're  jus'  in  time.'- 
'  No,  you  ain't,'  says  Mis'  Jessup.  An'  with  that  she 
grabbed  the  puddin'-pot,  an'  runnin'  out  the  side  door, 
thro  wed  pot  an'  puddin'  down  the  hill.  She  says  the 
men  were  mad  enough  to  eat  her"'' 1 

"Oh!  we  can  pit  the  East  End  women  against  the 
world  for  courage,"  said  Captain  Mulford,  heartily, 
"  and  for  everything  else  that's  fine  and  womanly." 

1  This  spot  is  still  known  as  "  Pudding  Hill." 


SURRENDERED.  391 


CHAPTER   XLIX. 

• 

SURRENDERED. 

IT  was  slow  progress  the  injured  ankle  was  making 
toward  recovery.  The  three  weeks  doubled  them- 
Selves,  and  the  lieutenant  was  still  a  prisoner. 

At  last,  however,  Dr.  Sage  gave  his  patient  permission 
to  try  walking  with  a  crutch.  But  no  crutch  suited  to 
the  lieutenant's  height  was  to  be  found  in  the  village,  and 
in  this  emergency  Margaret  appealed  to  Silas. 

"  Oh  !  I'll  make  him  one  fast  enough,  if  he'll  only  make 
haste  an'  take  himself  off  with  it,"  said  Silas.  "If 
there's  anything  I  hate  to  see,  it's  a  man  hobblin'  roun' 
on  a  crutch." 

"  Oh  !  but  think  how  much  better  that  is  than  not  being 
able  to  hobble  at  all,"  Margaret  answered  with  a  smile. 
"I'm  sure  it  never  struck  me  that  there  was  anything 
especially  hateful  about  it." 

"  Oh  !  you're  different.  If  it  happened  to  be  somebody 
you  liked,  you'd  like  him  all  the  same  if  he  had  to  go  on 
two  crutches." 

"If  it  happened  to  be  somebody  I  liked,  Silas,"  said 
the  girl,  gravely,  "  I'd  like  him  all  the  same  if  he  were 
not  able  to  walk  at  all." 

"  Eh,  but  I  wouldn't  mind  bein'  in  that  one's  boots," 


392  AN  ISLAND  HF.ROINE. 

muttered  Silas,  hobbling  off  with  the  lieutenant's  meas 
ure. 

Before  noon  the  next  day  the  crutch  was  ready  for 
use ;  and  though  the  lieutenant  at  first  was  somewhat 
awkward  in  managing  it,  he  was  soon  able  to  tramp 
about  very  comfortably.  He  had  an  Englishman's  fond 
ness  for  walking,  but  he  liked  company ;  and  hence  it 
happened  that  the  old  Quaker  often  joined  him  in  his 
strolls.  As  they  were  about  to  start  out  one  afternoon 
they  met  Betty  Osgood  at  the  door. 

"Why  not  go  with  us?  "  said  the  lieutenant,  loath  to  be 
off,  since  Betty  was  untying  her  hat-strings.  "And  you 
too,"  he  added  persuasively,  turning  to  Margaret. 

"Ay,  it  will  do  thee  good,  little  one,"  said  her  grand 
father.  And  Margaret,  seeing  that  Betty  was  beaming 
with  eagerness,  readily  accepted  the  invitation. 

It  was  late  in  October,  but  the  air  was  deliciously  warm 
and  balmy  ;  and  the  little  company,  breathing  in  its  sweet 
ness,  went  leisurely,  and  with  no  lack  of  cheerful  converse, 
along  the  sandy  road  that  led  to  the  beach. 

They  found  the  sea  breaking  in  silvery  ripples,  with  a 
soft-toned  sky  above  it  that  in  the  distance  lost  itself  in 
a  purple  mist ;  and  in  the  enchantment  of  the  hour,  they 
loitered  till  the  sun  was  almost  down.  Even  then  they 
turned  reluctantly;  and  on  reaching  the  Shark's  Head, 
Burton,  feeling  somewhat  fagged,  proposed  their  resting 
for  a  few  moments.  Betty  and  her  grandfather  stopped 
very  willingly,  but  Margaret  walked  on.  The  Shark's 
Head  was  sacred  to  her  from  its  association  with  Lodo- 
wick.  The  last  stroll  they  had  taken  together  they  had 


SURRENDERED.  393 

lingered  there  for  an  hour  in  the  twilight,  listening  to 
the  sea's  anthem.  What  weary  years  had  intervened  — 
years  that  had  robbed  her  of  life's  joy,  and  made  her 
forget  that  she  was  still  young ! 

She  was  brought  back  from  her  revery  by  the  sound 
>f  heavy  hoofs.  A  man  on  horseback,  who,  seeing  the 
little  party  by  the  pond,  had  turned  from  the  highway, 
was  forging  toward  them  across  the  stretch  of  yielding 
sand.  And  what  was  it  he  was  shouting? 

"Surrendered!  Surrendered!"  That  was  the  only 
\vord  that  she  could  catch  at  first,  and  her  heart  almost 
stopped  beating.  Who  had  surrendered?  Not  Wash 
ington  !  O  God,  not  Washington  ! 

But  now  the  herald  had  come  nearer,  and  was  wildly 
waving  his  cap,  and  his  voice  rang  out  like  a  clarion : 

"  Cornwallis  has  surrendered!  Cornwallis  with  all 
his  forces  has  surrendered  at  Yorktown  !  " 

He  was  too  impatient  to  spread  the  tidings  to  wait  to 
answer  questions  ;  and  as  he  spurred  on,  Margaret  sped 
back  to  the  Shark's  Head. 

The  others  had  sprung  to  their  feet,  and  stood  gazing 
in  bewilderment  at  the  vanishing  horseman. 

"Did  you  hear?"  she  cried.  "Thev  have  surren 
dered  !  Cornwallis  and  all  his  troops  have  surrendered 
at  Yorktown !  " 

"Ah,  thy  hearing  must  have  been  at  fault,  child," 
said  her  grandfather.  "The  news  is  much  too  good  to 
be  probable.  Some  one  has  evidently  surrendered,  but 
I  fear  it  will  prove  to  be  a  part  of  our  own  army." 

"  Nay,  her  ears  have  not  deceived  her,"  said  the  lieu- 


394  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

tenant  quietly.  "  I  heard  the  words  distinctly  :  *  Corn- 
wallis  has  surrendered ! '  and  I  grieve  for  England's 
defeat.  But  —  God  grant  it  may  bring  peace." 

"Ay,  peace  and  good  will,"  responded  the  old  man. 
As  he  spoke,  the  lieutenant's  crutch  slipped  to  the  ground, 
and  Betty  sprang  forward  and  restored  it ;  and  then  with 
one  accord  they  turned  homeward.  But  it  was  only 
Betty  now  that  kept  time  with  the  lieutenant ;  for  Mar 
garet  walked  ahead  with  her  grandfather,  and  the  latter 
was  stepping  off  as  if  he  had  caught  the  sound  of  life 
and  drum. 

And  now  there  was  no  longer  room  for  doubt ;  for  the 
neighbors,  beside  themselves  with  joy,  shouted  lustily  to 
them  as  they  passed  :  "  Have  you  heard  the  news?  The 
British  have  surrendered  !  Cornwallis  is  taken  !  "  And 
here  was  Priest  Buell  coming  in  haste  to  meet  them, 
with  his  face  aglow  and  without  a  thought  of  the  havoc 
that  the  wind  was  making  with  his  venerable  wig.1 

"Ah,  you  know  it!"  he  cried.  "I  see  it  in  your 
eyes.  Surely  such  a  victory  is  a  presage  of  peace." 

Margaret  was  content  to  let  her  grandfather  make  all 
the  responses,  for  her  heart  was  too  full  for  speech. 
Betty  and  the  lieutenant  had  not  yet  overtaken  them. 

"  It  will  be  hard,  I  fear,"  said  the  minister,  "  for  the 
young  Englishman  to  rejoice  with  us." 

"Perhaps  thou'rt  right;  but  from  the  signs,  Friend 
Buell,"  answered  the  old  Quaker  with  a  shrewd  smile, 
"I  judge  that  he,  too,  has  surrendered." 

l  Priest  Buell's  wig  is  still  in  existence,  and  sometimes  makes  its  appearance  in 
private  theatricals. 


A  BELATED  FISHERMAN.  395 


CHAPTER   L. 

A    BELATED    FISHERMAN. 

IN  the  course  of  a  fortnight  some  of  the  particulars  of 
the  surrender  reached  the  East  End,  and  helped  to 
Strengthen  the  conviction  that  peace  was  not  far  off. 

"But  the  war  will  not  be  over,  no  matter  who  sur 
renders,"  said  Ezekiel  Mulford,  who  with  two  or  three 
others  was  discussing  the  situation  one  evening  with  the 
old  Quaker,  "  until  England  acknowledges  our  inde 
pendence.  And  when  that  is  established,  no  foreigners 
ought  to  be  admitted  who  are  not  willing  to  support  our 
government.  We  want  it  to  be  a  free  country,  a  land 
of  liberty ;  but  there  is  no  safety  where  liberty  is  only 
another  name  for  license  and  disloyalty." 

Before  any  one  could  respond,  the  door  was  thrown 
open,  and  a  broad-shouldered,  rough-bearded  young  fel 
low  peered  in  at  the  group  in  front  of  the  fire.  He  wore 
an  old  military  cloak,  and  carried  a  basket  on  his  arm. 

"  Hullo  !  I  declare  if  'tain't  Ben  !  "  shouted  Silas  Post. 

Every  one  started  up  with  a  quick  outcry ;  and  Pru 
dence,  who  had  just  seated  herself  comfortably  with  her 
knitting,  had  her  arms  about  Ben's  neck  before  she  re 
membered  the  uncompromising  resolutions  that  she  had 
so  openly  reiterated,  „. 


396  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Thou  art  welcome,  Benjamin,"  said  his  grandfather, 
taking  both  Ben's  hands  in  his;  "  but  —  thou  art  rather 
late  with  thy  fish." 

"Better  late  than  nev.er,  grandad,"  said  the  young 
man,  setting  down  his  basket.  "They're  prime  ones 
too,  caught  this  morning  in  the  Thames.  We  boys 
started  out  thinking  maybe  we'd  be  able  to  get  a  mess 
for  Mrs.  Angel ;  but  Cap'n  Ephraim  Fordham  happened 
along,  and  when  he  offered  to  land  us  at  Mulford's  wharf 
at  Nor' west,  we  didn't  wait  for  anything.  Got  any  samp 
porridge  or  baked  beans  in  the  pantry,  mother?  I'm 
hungry  as  a  Hessian." 

"It's  a  poor  show  our  pantries  make  these  days,"  la 
mented  Prudence,  as  she  spread  the.  table.  But  Ben 
found  quite  enough  to  stay  him  for  the  night. 

"Ben,  where  did  you  get  that  cloak?"  whispered 
Margaret,  the  moment  her  aunt's  back  was  turned. 
"Have  you  seen  Uncle  John?" 

"Yes  —  I've  seen  him."  And  Ben  stopped  and  mois 
tened  his  lips.  "The  fellows  that  captured  him  be 
longed  to  a  schooner  that  was  anchored  off  Gardiner's 
Island ;  and  before  they  could  get  back  to  her,  Cap'n 
Foster  run  'em  down  and  took  all  three  of  'em  prisoners. 
So  Uncle  John  got  safely  back  to  New  London,  and  was 
with  the  militia  the  day  that  Arnold  burned  the  town." 

"  Do  let  the  boy  have  a  chance  to  eat  a  mouthful  be 
fore  plying  him  with  questions,"  said  Prudence,  coming 
back  with  a  plate  of  doughnuts. 

"Oh!  I  can  eat  and  talk  too,"  declared  Ben.  But 
Margaret  moved  away,  and  seated  herself  at  the  other 


A   BELATED  FISHERMAN.  397 

end  of  the  room.  She  was  quite  content  to  wait  now  — 
it  was  so  good  to  know  that  her  uncle  had  escaped. 

"Come,  ol'  feller,  we  want  to  hear  where  you  b'en, 
an'  what  you  b'en  up  to  all  this  while,"  cried  Silas,  mak 
ing  room  on  the  settle  for  Ben,  as  the  latter  came  back 
to  the  fireplace. 

"I've  been  seeing  —  war,"  answered  Ben  slowly; 
"  and  the  sights  have  been  enough  to  turn  the  color  of 
my  hair,  if  it  hadn't  been  warranted,"  he  added  with  a 
grim  attempt  at  a  smile.  "'7Y5  a  good  while,  come  to 
think  of  it,  since  that  morning  we  boys  went  fishing,  and 
a  good  many  things  have  happened.  We  drifted  about 
in  the  bay  for  two  or  three  hours,  keeping  a  sharp  eye 
out  for  the  enemy  ;  but  there  wasn't  a  sail  in  sight,  and  we 
determined  to  row  across  to  New  London.  We  had  the 
wind  and  tide  with  us,  and  were  making  good  time,  when 
suddenly  a  British  ship  overhauled  us,  and  demanded  to 
know  our  business.  We  told  them  we  were  out  fishing, 
and  Burt  held  up  a  flounder  to  prove  it :  but  finding  that 
we  had  several  implements  of  war  along,  they  scooped 
us  up  without  ceremony.  By  eight  o'clock  New  London 
was  in  sight,  and  a  little  later  we  came  to  anchor  about 
half  a  mile  below  the  town.  Fortunately  they  let  us  stav 
on  deck ;  and  when  the  crew  went  to  their  bunks,  they 
left  only  one  man  to  guard  us.  lie  was  a  Hessian,  and 
couldn't  understand  a  word  we  said,  and  before  long  he 
was  sound  asleep.  I  rather  guess,  by  the  signs,  that  he 
had  been  taking  a  dram  ;  for  he  slept  like  a  log.  They'd 
bound  our  hands  ;  but  as  soon  as  tilings  were  quiet  we 
managed  to  free  ourselves,  and  slipping  into  the  water, 


398  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

struck  out  for  shore.  We  went  right  to  Cousin  Mercy 
Angel's  ;  and  though  it  was  almost  midnight,  she  hadn't 
put  out  her  lights,  having  a  lot  of  sick  soldiers  in  the 
house,  and  she  soon  had  us  comfortable.  Tell  you  what, 
she's  rightly  named  ! 

"We  were  hoping  to  be  able  to  enlist,  but  when  we 
began  to  make  inquiries,  everybody  urged  us  to  stay 
and  join  the  militia ;  for  they  wanted  all  the  men  they 
could  get,  they  were  so  afraid  old  Tryon  would  carry 
out  his  threat  to  burn  the  town.  So  we  stayed.  And 
the  attack  came  sooner  than  they'd  looked  for.  Of 
course  by  this  time  you've  heard  about  it,  but  you  can't 
imagine  what  havoc  the  wretches  made.  Not  only  the 
churches  and  business  buildings  are  burned  to  the 
ground,  but  nearly  all  the  dwelling-houses.  Mrs.  An 
gel's  fared  a  little  better  than  most  of  them,  but  we  had 
a  hard  tussle  to  save  it.  It  seemed  at  one  time  as  if 
everything  would  be  swept  away.  But  it  was  at  Fort 
Griswold  that  the  crudest  work  was  done.  Colonel  Led- 
yard  and  his  men  made  a  brave  defence  ;  but  the  enenw 
at  last  forced  an  entrance,  and  though  Colonel  Ledyard 
had  ordered  his  men  to  lay  down  their  arms,  the  garri 
son  was  slaughtered  without  mercy.  Over  eighty  of 
them  were  put  to  death  with  bayonet  and  musket ;  and 
Colonel  Ledyard  himself  was  thrust  through  with  his 
own  sword,  which  he  had  just  given  up  to  the  British 
officer.  Oh,  the  whole  of  it  was  horrible  !  "  He  stopped, 
and  shoved  back  his  chair. 

"I  don't  believe  you  want  to  hear  any  more  about  it," 
he  said. 


A  BELATED  FISHERMAN.  399 

"  Oh,  go  on,  go  on!"  cried  the  listeners  greedily. 
"We  hadn't  had  half  the  particulars." 

"  Ah,  it  was  terrible  !  "  said  the  young  fellow,  with  a 
shudder.  "  Arnold,  as  perhaps  you  know,  was  the 
leader ;  and  while  this  deadly  work  was  going  on  in 
the  fort,  he  rode  up  and  down  the  streets,  cheering  on 
the  soldiers ;  and  they  say  that  after  the  fire  was  well 
under  way,  he  posted  himself  in  a  church  belfry  where 
he  could  gloat  over  the  conflagration.  They  say,  too, 
that  he  came  mighty  near  having  an  end  put  to  his  in 
famous  course ;  for  a  young  woman,  crazed  with  know 
ing  that  her  father  was  killed  and  her  home  burned, 
seized  a  musket,  and  tried  to  shoot  him.  But  the  gun 
missed  fire,  more's  the  pity. 

"There  were  several  East  End  people  there  at  the  time. 
Fanny  Ledyard,  Colonel  Ledyard's  niece,  happened  to 
be  over  from  Southold  visiting  at  his  house  in  Groton. 
She  hurried  to  the  fort  as  soon  as  the  enemy  left  it,  and 
the  first  object  she  saw  was  her  uncle's  body  lying  in  a 
pool  of  blood.  But  instead  of  fainting  away,  she  went 
right  to  work  helping  those  that  were  still  alive.  She 
carried  in  water,  and  washed  their  wounds,  and  did 
everything  she  could  to  cheer  them.  A  man  couldn't 
have  been  braver.  Mr.  Samuel  L'Hommedieu,  who 
moved  from  the  Harbor  to  New  London  soon  after  the 
war  began,  lost  nearly  all  his  property  in  the  fire,  ex 
cept  a  few  things  that  he  tumbled  into  a  bedtick  and 
slung  across  his  horse,  and  so  did  Cap'n  Aaron  Clark. 
Silas  Cooper,  too,  who  went  from  Bridgehampton  to 
Groton,  lost  heavily,  and  Uncle  John  Thurston  "  — 


400  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Oh,  it  was  a  brutal  affair  from  beginning  to  end  !  " 
cried  Captain  Mulford,  as  Ben,  making  a  sudden  break, 
went  to  the  table  and  took  a  drink  of  water.  "  And  all 
to  punish  New  London  for  her  patriotism." 

"Eh,  but  Washington  got  even  with  'em  when  he 
bagged  Cornwallis  an'  his  troops,"  said  Silas. 

"I  don'  know,"  said  Ben,  dropping  down  again  on 
the  settle.  "  'Twould  take  a  good  deal  to  get  even  with 
'em.  A  cartel  arrived  at  New  London  a  few  days  ago, 

•/  &      * 

bringing  a  hundred  and  thirty  of  our  soldiers  from  the 
prison-ships.  Such  a  starved  and  sickly  crew  you  never 
laid  eyes  on.  Good  many  of  the  poor  fellows  died  on 
the  way,  and  most  of  those  that  lived  to  be  landed  at  the 
wharf  looked  as  if  they  had  just  crawled  out  of  their 
graves.  Oh,  you  can't  begin  to  imagine  it ! "  And  Ben 
drew  a  long  breath,  and  set  his  lips  together. 

"As  soon  as  Mrs.  Angel  heard  of  it,"  he  continued, 
"she  went  right  to  those  that  had  'em  in  charge,  and 
begged  them  to  let  her  take  as  many  as  her  house  would 
hold  of  those  that  were  most  in  need  of  care ;  and  they 
were  glad  enough  to  let  her  do  it.  They  sent  her  two  or 
three  squads  of  'em,  and  she's  had  a  regular  hospital 
there  ever  since.  If  they  were  her  own  sons  and 
brothers  she  couldn't  do  more  for  them.  One  of  'em  's 
Cap'n  David  Hand,  from  the  Harbor.  He  was  nothing 
but  a  bag  o'  bones  when  he  first  came,  but  he  begins  to 
look  more  like  himself.  He  told  me  about  Uncle  Aa 
ron's  being  knocked  overboard,  and  he  was  pleased 
enough  when  he  found  that  he  succeeded  in  getting 
ashore." 


A  BELATED  FISHERMAN.  401 

Margaret  listened  pale  and  speechless ;  but  as  soon  as 
the  callers,  warned  by  the  stroke  of  nine,  said  good 
night,  she  turned  to  Ben  with  her  question. 

"Could  Captain  Hand  tell  you  nothing  about  —  the 
others?  Did  you  ask  him,  Ben?" 

"  Of  course  I  asked  him,  Meg  ;  but  —  what's  the  use? 
When  you  think  of  the  thousands  that  have  been  pris 
oned  on  board  those  ships,  you  can  see  how  vain  it  is  to 
hope  to  get  track  of  any  one  in  particular.  They  are 
huddled  together  like  cattle  in  a  pen,  with  no  name  or 
mlmber  to  distinguish  them ;  and  even  of  those  that  die 
no  record  is  kept.  Now  and  then  one  is  fortunate  enough, 
like  Uncle  Aaron,  to  make  his  escape.  There  was  one 
of  'em  named  Tom  Painter,  from  Connecticut,  who  man 
aged  to  do  it,  but  it  was  only  by  the  skin  of  his  teeth,  and 
he  nearly  starved  before  he  got  anywhere ;  and  another 
by  the  name  of  Andros  succeeded  in  getting  ashore,  and 
made  his  way  down  to  Sag  Harbor  on  foot;  but  not 
many  of  'em  get  away  except  by  dying.  They  say  that 
on  one  of  the  hospital  ships  there  was  a  young  fellow 
named  Philip  Freneau,  who  was  always  writing  rhymes 
about  the  cruel  treatment  of  our  men ;  and  one  of  'em 
runs, 

"  '  Each  day  at  least  six  carcasses  we  bore, 

And  scratched  them  graves  along  the  sandy  shore,' 

and  from  all  accounts  there's  more  truth  than  poetry  in 
it.  Yet  they  could  have  had  their  freedom  at  any  time 
by  enlisting  in  the  British  service.  Cap'n  Hand  says 
that  recruiting-officers  went  on  board  every  day,  and 
tried  their  best  to  make  turncoats  of  them,  telling  them 


402  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

that  their  own  government  cared  nothing  for  them,  and 
that  if  they'd  fight  for  England,  they'd  be  well  rewarded. 
It  must  have  been  an  awful  temptation.  I  declare,  Meg, 
I  don't  see  how  they  stood  it,  sick  and  half-starved  as 
they  were.  Sometimes  when  I  get  to  thinking  about  it, 
it  throws  me  into  a  cold  sweat  for  fear  if  I'd  been  in 
their  place  I  shouldn't  have  held  out." 

"Ben!  and  you  a  Thurston !  "  cried  Margaret,  with 
her  hand  on  his  shoulder  and  her  eyes  flashing. 

"Well,  I  don'  know,  Meg.  It's  mighty  hard  telling. 
Cap'n  Hand  says  that  it  isn't  so  much  England's  fault 
that  the  prisoners  are  so  brutally  abused  as  that  of  the 
greedy  wretches  who  have  charge  of  'em.  But  that 
only  goes  to  prove  that  a  government  ought  always  to 
know  the  character  of  the  men  that  are  employed  to  do 
its  work,  especially  when  they  are  to  have  unlimited 
control  of  those  who  are  powerless  to  help  themselves. 
If  we'd  had  enough  of  their  men  of  equal  rank,  they'd 
have  been  exchanged  long  before  this ;  but  usually  the 
British  seamen  taken  by  our  privateers  were  discharged 
as  soon  as  the  vessel  came  into  port,  neither  the  State 
nor  the  owners  of  the  vessels  feeling  able  to  be  at  the 
expense  of  keeping  'em  ;  and  so  our  men  have  to  bide 
their  time.  But  now  that  Cornwallis  has  surrendered,  it 
won't  be  a  great  while  before  they'll  all  be  freed." 

"And  meanwhile  we  must  bide  our  time,"  said  the 
girl,  pressing  her  hands  together.  Her  eyes  were  full 
of  tears.  "  I'm  glad  you  brought  the  fish,"  she  added, 
mustering  a  smile  to  keep  the  tears  from  falling.  "  And 
how  about  Debby's?" 


4  BELATED  FISHERMAN.  403 

"  Oh  !  I  stopped  there  on  my  way  up,  and  left  her  a 
mess.  And  Meg,"  he  said,  turning  his  face  away  as 
he  took  up  the  candle  that  she  had  lighted  for  him, 
"  you  needn't  worry  about  Debby.  She  isn't  the  sort  o' 
girl  to  break  her  heart  for  a  Tory."  And  then  he  said 
good-night.  But  when  he  had  heard  Margaret  go  to 
her  room,  he  slipped  down-stairs,  and  tapped  softly  at 
his  grandfather's  door. 

"  I  didn't  know  but  maybe  it  would  be  better  not  to 
tell  Meg  just  yet,"  he  said,  standing  before  the  fire  with 
his  arms  crossed  behind  him,  "  but  Cap'n  Hand  says 
that  Lod  Brewster  was  brought  on  board  the  Jersey  not 
long  after  Uncle  Aaron  got  away,  but  was  taken  with  a 
fever,  and  had  to  be -moved  to  one  of  the  hospital  ships 
—  the  Hunter,  I  think  was  the  name  of  it  —  and  that  in 
all  probability  he  —  didn't  get  well." 

"  Thou  did'st  wisely  not  to  speak  of  it,  Benjamin.  It 
will  be  time  enough  for  her  to  know  it  when  the  probabil 
ity  has  become  a  certainty.  It  is  good  to  have  thee  home 
again,  lad.  Thou  art  growing  more  like  thy  father." 
And  the  old  man,  who  had  risen  from  his  chair,  leaned 
forward  for  a  closer  look  as  Ben  came  in  range  of  the 
candle.  Then,  moved  by  the  remembrance  of  his  son, 
he  opened  his  arms,  and  drawing  the  young  fellow 
toward  him,  kissed  him  so  tenderly  that  Ben  felt  a  lump 
rising  in  his  throat. 

O 

"There  was  another  thing  I  didn't  like  to  speak  of, 
grandpa,"  the  young  man  went  on.  "  Uncle  John  Thur- 
ston  —  I  told  you  he  was  with  the  militia  the  day  New 
London  was  burned  — well,  he  was  pretty  badly  hurt. 


404  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Mrs.  Angel  has  him  at  her  house,  and  at  first  we  thought 
he  was  going  to  pull  through ;  but  for  the  last  fortnight 
he  has  seemed  to  be  losing  strength,  and  he  keeps  ask 
ing  for  you  and  Meg.  That's  why  I  came  home.  I've 
been  watching  my  chance  for  more  than  a  week.  And 
Cap'n  Ephraim  says  that  if  you  want  to  go  across,  you'll 
find  him  anchored  off  Nor' west  to-morrow  night,  'long 
about  dusk." 

"Benjamin,  Benjamin,  thou  hast  indeed  brought  evil 
tidings  !  "  moaned  the  old  man.  He  looked  so  white  and 
helpless  that  Ben  put  his  arm  around  him,  and  seated 
him  in  his  chair. 

"  I  must  go  at  once,"  he  said,  shaken  out  of  his  usual 
calm.  "But  Margaret — would  it- be  safe  for  her,  Ben 
jamin?  " 

"Oh!  I  am  sure  there  would  be  no  danger,  not  as 
things  are  now.  The  British  are  keeping  pretty  quiet 
since  the  surrender,  and  their  vessels  are  few  and  far 
between  on  the  Sound." 

But  the  old  man  was  far  from  satisfied. 

"I  would  I  could  slip  off  without  her  knowing  it,"  he 
said. 

"  Oh,  come  now,  grandpa  !  "  cried  Ben.  "  'Twas  bad 
enough  for  me  to  run  away,  but  you  !  Why,  'twould 
break  Meg's  heart." 

The  old  man  made  no  answer.  He  was  sitting  with 
his  gray  head  bowed  on  his  clasped  hands ;  and  Ben, 
divining  that  he  was  seeking  counsel  of  the  Indwelling 
Light,  stole  away  without  disturbing  him. 


ANOTHER   CARTEL.  405 


CHAPTER   LI. 

ANOTHER    CARTEL. 

" /~\H,  indeed  I  must  go,  grandpa!"  Margaret  ex- 
.Vy  claimed  the  next  morning,  on  hearing  of  her 
uncle's  illness.  "Do  you  think  I  would  let  you  go 
alone  ?  " 

"  Nay,  then,  Benjamin  can  go  with  me,"  said  the  old 
man,  still  undecided.  But  when  Prudence,  detecting 
his  hesitation,  urged  that  it  would  be  wiser  to  take  with 
him  some  one  who  had  had  experience  in  the  sick-room, 
he  no  longer  wavered. 

"  Her  uncle  has  a  nurse  already,"  he  said.  "It  is 
for  the  presence  of  those  he  loves  that  he  is  pining." 
And  charging  Margaret  to  be  ready  in  good  season,  he 
went  back  to  his  room. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  they  boarded  Cap 
tain  Fordham's  sloop. 

"You  see,  I've  kept  my  promise,  Miss  Peggy,"  said 
the  jolly  skipper,  as  he  hoisted  sail.  "  But,  Lord  help 
us  !  If  we'd  known  that  Sunday  morning  that  the  war 
was  going  to  last  all  these  years  —  well,  it's  a  blessed 
thing  that  we  don't  know  what's  before  us.  What  time 
will  we  get  there?  That's  more'n  I  can  tell.  I  thought 
we  were  going  to  have  a  good  stiff  breeze,  but  it  seems 


406  AN   ISLAND  HEROINE. 

to  be  dying  down."  And  with  that  he  shook  out  a  reef, 
and  seated  himself  at  the  tiller. 

"I  ran  across  your  neighbor,  Squire  Wickham,  the 
other  day,"  he  went  on.  "  He's  been  running  a  sloop 
out  o'  Stonington  ever  since  the  exodus,  and  making  no 
end  of  trouble  for  the  enemy.  And  there's  Cap'n  Wil 
liam  Havens,  he's  been  running  privateers  'bout  ever 
since  the  war  begun ;  and  one  of  'em,  called  the  Retali 
ation,  has  lately  been  moored  in  the  Thames  off  New 
Lon'on  for  a  prison  for  some  of  the  redcoat  sailors 
they've  been  capturing.  Tell  you,  the  East  Enders  have 
been  doing  more  for  the  cause  than  folks  think  for ;  and 
what  they've  suffered  none  but  the  Lord  himself  knows." 

"Ay,  they  have  suffered  indeed,"  responded  the  old 
Quaker.  But  neither  he  nor  Margaret  felt  disposed  to 
talk. 

The  sun  went  down  in  a  soft  pink  haze ;  there  was 
scarcely  a  ripple  on  the  water,  and  the  vessel  moved 
sluggishly. 

"  We'll  have  the  tide  with  us  soon,"  said  the  captain. 

And  now  there  was  a  stir  in  the  ri<r[nner  like  the  sound 

o  o         o 

of  spring  in  the  tree-tops,  the  sagging  canvas  grew 
taut,  and  the  little  pennon  on  the  topmast  stood  out  as 
straight  as  a  weathercock  before  the  rising  wind. 

"Ah,  here  she  comes!"  cried  Captain  Ephraim. 
"Now,  then,  my  hearties!"  And  the  sloop  skimmed 
the  water  like  a  petrel. 

But  soon,  abruptly,  the  captain  came  forward,  and  ad 
vised  them  to  go  below.  It  was  a  mild  night  for  Novem 
ber,  he  said,  but  too  cool  for  folks  that  weren't  used  to 


ANOTHER   CARTEL.  407 

it  to  be  sitting  on  deck.  But  they  were  scarcely  in  the 
cabin  when  the  sounds  overhead  indicated  that  something 
more  than  usual  was  going  on.  The  men  were  scurry 
ing  back  and  forth,  and  the  captain  could  be  heard 
shouting  his  orders. 

Margaret  ran  up  the  steps,  and  tried  to  peer  out,  but 
was  none  the  wiser. 

"  They  are  jibing,"  said  her  grandfather.  Then  sud 
denly  the  vessel  gave  a  lurch,  and  came  apparently  to  a 
full  stop. 

But  presently  they  were  moving  again. 

"Don't  be  scart,  friends;  it's  all  right,"  called  the 
skipper.  "We  thought  at  first  it  was  one  of  the  ene 
my's  gunboats  bearing  down  on  us,  but  it  proved  to  be 
Cap'n  John  Foster  on  his  way  to  the  Harbor.  We  lay 
to  only  long  enough  to  ask  whether  there  was  anything 
new  concerning  the  treaty  —  that's  the  one  question  that 
everybody's  asking  now,  but  it's  precious  little  satisfac 
tion  that  one  gets.  He  says,  though,  that  another  cartel 
is  on  its  way  to  New  London  with  a  hundred  or  more 
of  our  poor  fellows  from  the  prison-ships  on  board." 

At  that  Margaret  started  up  the  companion-way. 

"  Oh,  I  hope  we  shall  be  there  in  time  to  see  them  !  " 
she  cried. 

"  Well,  I  warn  you,  it'll  be  a  sorry  sight,"  said  the  cap 
tain.  "  But  we  sha'n't  be  long  getting  in  now,  with  this 
wind,  and  the  tide  turning."  And  before  midnight  they 
were  landed  amid  the  charred  ruins  of  New  London. 

Mrs.  Angel,  who  had  sent  a  conveyance  to  the  land 
ing,  was  on  the  watch  for  them. 


408  AN  ISLAND   HEROINE. 

"You  have  come  none  too  soon,"  she  said.  "  He  is 
rapidly  failing." 

But  the  sufferer  knew  them,  and  their  coming  so  re 
vived  him  that  at  first  they  cheated  themselves  with  the 
belief  that  he  was  going  to  rally. 

"  Ah,  it  is  good  to  have  you  here  !  "  he  murmured, 
regarding  them  with  beaming  eyes.  "I  had  hoped  to 
live  to  see  peace  established.  Thank  God  it  is  not  far 
off !  The  colonies  have  fought  a  good  fight.  They 
have  kept  the  faith."  Then  his  mind  wandered,  and  he 
talked  incoherently  of  the  burning  of  the  town,  and  of  the 
brutal  butchery  of  the  garrison  at  Fort  Griswold. 

And  presently  the  brave  old  soldier  had  gained  the 
Port  of  Peace. 

Very  soon  after  the  funeral  Margaret  discovered  that 
her  grandfather  was  beginning  to  pine  for  home.  He 
had  loved  the  pleasant  old  town,  and  the  scenes  of  ruin 
and  desolation  that  met  him  at  every  turn  brought  a 
heartache  that  was  almost  harder  to  bear  than  his  per 
sonal  sorrow. 

"It  is  like  a  nightmare,  little  one,"  he  said,  with  a 
shudder,  "this  ghastly  record  of  flame  and  carnage. 
Devastated  as  the  East  End  is,  the  war  has  left  there  no 
such  scars  as  these." 

But  knowing  how  eagerly  she  was  watching  for  the 
cartel  that  was  rumored  to  be  on  its  way,  though  fearful 
that  it  might  bring  her  only  fresh  disappointment,  he 
succeeded  in  convincing  her  that,  in  spite  of  his  home 
sickness,  he  preferred  to  wait. 

But  while  they  delayed,  thinking  that  the  ship  might 


ANOTHER   CARTEL.  409 

arrive  at  any  moment,  the  rumor  was  flatly  contradicted 
—  no  more  cartels  were  to  be  sent  until  peace  was  de 
clared  ;  and  though  Mrs.  Angel  urged  them  to  stay, 
they  made  preparations  to  return  at  once.  But  it  was 
several  days  before  they  could  hear  of  a  vessel  that  was 
going  across  the  Sound  ;  and  when  at  last  they  succeeded 
in  securing  a  passage,  they  had  to  say  good-by  to  their 
hostess  at  daylight,  fearing  that  they  might  be  left,  there 
being  no  time  fixed  for  sailing. 

-  But  hour  after  hour,  owing  to  the  absence  of  some  of 
the  crew,  the  sloop  swung  idly 'at  her  moorings.  And 
when  finally  the  loiterers  made  their  appearance,  the 
skipper  himself  was  missing. 

So  it  was  nearly  night  before  they  were  ready  to 
weigh  anchor,  and  at  the  last  moment  a  new  delay  oc 
curred  ;  for  sailing  up  the  river,  grim  and  spectral  in 
the  gray  November  gloaming,  came  a  black-hulled  ship, 
and  instantly  the  cry  went  from  mouth  to  mouth,  "The 
cartel  !  The  cartel !  Another  cartel !  " 

Margaret  sprung  to  the  taffrail,  and  leaning  forward, 
strained  her  eyes  for  a  better  view  of  the  incoming  vessel. 

"  Oh,  if  we  had  only  waited!"  she  cried,  turning  to 
her  grandfather. 

They  had  not  yet  pulled  in  the  plank. 

"Come,"  he  said,  taking  her  hand.  And  in  a  trice 
they  were  on  their  way  back  to  Mrs.  Angel's. 

"  We  may  at  least  be  able  to  get  tidings  from  some  of 
them,"  she  said,  as  she  told  Mrs.  Angel  of  the  arrival 
of  the  cartel. 

"  Oh,  I  hope  so  ;  "  said  her  cousin,  who,  though  she  had 


41 0  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

never  seen  Lodowick,  knew  very  well  that  his  name  was 
uppermost  in  her  thoughts.  "  But  they'll  not  be  likely 
to  land  any  of  them  before  morning ;  and  meanwhile, 
my  dear,"  she  added,  noticing  the  heaviness  of  the  brown 
eyes, "you  must  try  to  get  a  good  night's  rest." 

But  Margaret,  thinking  of  those  who,  scarcely  a  mile 
away,  were  watching  so  wearily  for  the  morning,  though 
she  went  to  her  room,  found  it  impossible  to  sleep.  Un 
til  past  midnight  she  counted  every  stroke  of  the  clock 
in  the  room  below;  and  though  by  then  her  thoughts 
began  to  grow  confused,  it  was  two  hours  later  before 
she  fairly  lost  consciousness. 

The  sun  was  shining  when  she  awoke,  and  in  an  in 
stant  she  was  on  her  feet. 

As  she  was  about  to  go  down,  Mrs.  Angel  met  her. 

"Come  quick,  child,"  she  cried.  "They  have  sent 
me  eight.  O  Margaret,  such  wrecks  of  men  !  And 
one  of  them  —  don't  be  too  hopeful,  dear  ;  he  is  lying  in 
a  kind  of  stupor  —  had  this  bound  around  his  head." 
She  held  out  a  linen  handkerchief ;  and  Margaret,  seiz 
ing  it,  while  her  heart  stood  still,  read  in  one  corner  the 
name  L.  V.  Brewster,  and  recognized  the  lettering  as 
some  of  her  own  handiwork. 

"  He  has  a  knapsack  marked  with  the  same  initials," 
added  Mrs.  Angel. 

How  she  managed  to  follow  her  cousin  down  the 
stairs  and  reach  the  room  where  the  sick  man  lay  she 
could  never  tell,  for  she  was  not  conscious  of  using  her 
feet. 

The  soldier  had  turned  his  face  to  the  wall. 


ANOTHER   CARTEL.  41  I 

"  Be  careful  not  to  startle  him,"  cautioned  Mrs.  Angel ; 
and  Margaret,  stealing  noiselessly  to  the  bedside,  leaned 
over  him  without  speaking,  her  lips  quivering,  and  her 
sweet  eyes  wide  with  eagerness. 

"At  last,  at  last,  beloved!"  her  heart  was  crying. 
But  she  drew  back  with  a  shudder. 

"No,  no!"  she  gasped,  throwing  out  her  hands. 
Then  suddenly  she  stooped  forward  again,  and  the  cry 
that  escaped  her  trembling  lips  had  a  ring  that  was  al- 
niost  joyous.  Her  grandfather,  opening  the  door  at  the 
moment,  started  toward  her  with  an  expectant  face. 

"  Oh,  make  haste,  grandpa,  make  haste,"  she  cried. 

The  old  man  hurried  to  the  bedside. 

"  What !  "  he  asked  huskily.      "  Is  it" 

"  Sh  —  sh  !  "   she  whispered,   pointing  to  the  wasted 
face  smitten  already  with  the  pallor  of  death;   "it  is  — 
poor  Will  Braydon  !  " 

For  several  seconds  no  one  spoke,  the  discovery  was 
so  unlocked  for. 

"  Oh,  it  must  have  been  false  !  "  murmured  Margaret 
at  last,  "  the  rumor  that  he  had  gone  over  to  the  enemy  ! 
And  surely  he  has  been  with  Loclowick.  How  else 
could  he  have  come  by  the  handkerchief?  Oh,  if  he 
could  but  speak  to  us  !  " 

Then,  of  a  sudden,  his  knapsack  caught  her  eye.  It 
bore  Lodowick's  initials,  and  she  did  not  hesitate  to  open 
it.  A  bundle  of  worn  and  faded  army  clothes  was  all 
that  it  held  apparently  ;  but  hidden  beneath  the  bundle 
was  a  little  Bible  that  Frances  Brewster  had  given  Lodo- 
wick  the  day  he  went  away,  and  stowed  beside  it  —  the 


412  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

tears  surged  up  when  she  saw  it  —  was  the  old  cocoanut 
drinking-cup. 

She  bent  again  over  Braydon,  and  frantically  called 
him  by  name.  But  there  was  no  answer. 

"  He  is  not  going  to  last  long,"  said  Mrs.  Angel,  lay 
ing  her  hand  on  his  forehead.  "  lie  will  probably  go 
with  the  turning  of  the  tide." 

The  surgeon  in  attendance  said  the  same.  But  he 
added  that  he  might  possibly  come  to  himself  before  go 
ing,  and  Margaret  sat  all  day  watching  the  sunken  face. 
Not  for  an  instant  could  she  be  induced  to  leave  him. 
Who  knew  at  what  moment  his  lips  might  be  unsealed  ? 

But  when  at  nightfall  the  tide  began  silently  slipping 
seaward,  the  soul  as  silently  slipped  away,  leaving  the 
mystery  unsolved. 


A  HEROIC  SACRIFICE.  413 


CHAPTER   LII. 

A    HEROIC    SACRIFICE. 

,  why?  why?"  moaned  the  girl,  looking  down 
at  the  still  white  face  with  the  feeling  that  death 
had  defrauded  her.  Why  could  he  not  have  been  per 
mitted  to  open  his  lips,  and  tell  her  what  she  so  longed 
to  know? 

Oh,  the  weary  "whys"  that  are  forever  going  up 
from  tortured  hearts!  But  —  God  knows;  and  some 
where,  some  time,  he  will  give  each  heart  its  answer. 

The  only  thing  to  comfort  her  was  the  thought  of  be 
ing  able  to  carry  to  Debby  the  assurance  that  her  lover 
had  not  died  a  traitor. 

"  Oh,  to  think,  France,  how  we  misjudged  him  !  " 
Deborah  cried  remorsefully,  when  Margaret  on  her  re 
turn  related  the  circumstances.  "  We  might  at  least 
have  waited  till  we  knew  whether  or  not  he  could  vindi 
cate  himself."  And  in  her  contrition  she  did  penance 
by  treating  Ben  with  a  coldness  that  chilled  his  honest 
young  heart  to  the  core. 

"  Be  patient,"  counselled  Margaret,  when  he  came  to 
her  for  comfort;  "  it  will  all  come  right  in  time."  But 
it  was  many  a  day  before  Debby  would  let  herself  be 
friendly  again. 


414  A^  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

As  the  winter  wore  on,  there  was  so  little  seemingly  to 
encourage  the  expectations  that  had  been  raised  by  the 
surrender  of  Cornwallis  that  many  in  their  comfortless 
homes,  with  a  scantness  of  supplies  that  threatened  star 
vation,  began  to  give  way  to  a  new  despair. 

"We  must  remember,  though,  that  it  often  takes 
three  months  for  word  to  get  to  England,  and  as  much 
longer  for  an  answer  to  come  back,"  Ezekiel  Mulford  re 
marked  to  some  of  the  neighbors  gathered  at  Huntting's 
Inn. 

"Yes,  yes,  it's  something  that  can't  be  settled  in  a 
day,"  said  Deacon  Hedges,  "  and  with  Mr.  Jay  and  Dr. 
Franklin  in  Europe  engineering  the  negotiations,  our  in 
terests  are  not  likely  to  suffer ;  besides,  England,  they 
say,  is  as  anxious  as  \ve  are  to  have  a  treaty  consum 
mated." 

"Oh!  it's  bound  to  come,"  answered  Mulford,  pick 
ing  up  the  tongs,  and  putting  together  a  log  that  had 
burned  in  two.  "  Rut  the  people  won't  be  satisfied  with 
any  overtures  that  are  not  based  on  an  acknowledgment 
of  our  independence.  England  and  the  colonies  have 
burned  asunder,  and  there's  no  more  use  in  trying  to 
patch  up  a  peace  that  will  make  the  two  countries  a  unit 
again  than  there  would  be  in  trying  to  make  a  solid  log 
of  those  two  fiery  brands.  They  would  only  help  to 
consume  each  other." 

"That's  so,"  responded  Nathaniel  Huntting,  lay 
ing  a  fresh  log  on  the  fire.  "  It's  a  separation  that 
won't  admit  of  a  reunion  of  any  sort.  But  there  are 
a  good  many  points  to  be  considered  —  there's  our  trade 


A  HEROIC  SACRIFICE.  415 

with  the  West  Indies,  for  instance,  they'd  be  mighty 
glad  to  cheat  us  out  of  that — and  our  commissioners 
will  have  to  move  warily.  As  '  Poor  Richard'  says,  '  A 
small  leak  will  sink  a  great  ship,'  and  the  least  flaw  in 
the  construction  of  the  treaty  might  eventually  prove  our 
ruin.  We've  won  the  battle,  and  can  afford  to  wait." 

But  it  was  weary  waiting.  On  both  sides  of  the  At 
lantic  the  mightiest  minds  were  bending  all  their  ener 
gies  to  the  adjustment  of  the  final  treaty ;  but  the  sea 
was  wide  in  the  days  \vhen  there  were  only  the  wind- 
bailed  ships  to  carry  the  world's  messages  back  and 
forth. 

An  entire  year  went  by,  —  a  year  in  which  the  people 
learned  as  never  before  the  bitterness  of  hope  deferred, 
—  and  winter  shut  down  again  on  the  desolate  land  with 
out  bringing  any  decisive  news  concerning  the  pending 
treaty. 

But  soon  or  late  all  waiting  has  an  end  ;  and  when  one 
April  day  the  tidings  came  that  a  cessation  of  hostilities 
had  been  proclaimed,  a  general  treaty  of  peace  having 
been  signed  in  Paris,  the  people  needed  none  to  remind 
them  to  "  render  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  overruling 
the  wrath  of  men  for  his  own  glory,  and  causing  the 
rage  of  war  to  cease  among  the  nations." 

But  the  end  was  not  yet. 

"It's  all  very  good  as  far  as  it  goes,"  said  Captain 
Mulford ;  "but  we  can't  feel  that  there's  any  certainty 
of  its  being  permanent  until  we  know  that  the  treaty 
has  been  finally  confirmed  ;  and  Congress  seems  to  be 
of  the  same  opinion  ;  for  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  hostili- 


41 6  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

ties  have  practically  ceased,  it  has  decided  that  the  ser 
vices  of  the  men  engaged  in  the  war  will  not  expire 
until  the  articles  of  peace  have  been  ratified,  and  there's 
no  telling  how  much  longer  that's  going  to  take." 

Furloughs,  however,  were  freely  given ;  and  from 
time  to  time  one  and  another  of  the  East  End  soldiers, 
taking  advantage  of  this  privilege,  came  "  marching 
home,"  bringing  their  arms  with  them. 

"  Seth  Howell  got  back  to  Bridgehampton  last  week," 
said  Ben  one  morning  to  Margaret.  "  I  saw  him  just 
now  at  the  Osborns'.  He  was  showing  them  his  Badge 
of  Merit  for  six  years'  faithful  service,  and  his  discharge 
is  signed  by  General  George  Washington  himself.1  Ah, 
but  wouldn't  I  be  proud  of  a  paper  like  that?  And  I 
might  have  had  one,  too,  if  they'd  only  let  me  enlist. 
Tell  you  what,  if  ever  there's  another  war" 

"  O  Ben,  don't,  don't !  "  protested  Margaret.  "  One 
can  fight  for  his  country  in  peace  as  well  as  in  war,  and 
win  honor  without  bloodshed." 

But  Ben  was  convinced  that  in  having  been  debarred 
from  being  a  soldier  he  had  missed  the  opportunity  of  a 
lifetime ;  and  the  accounts  given  by  the  returning  vete 
rans  did  not  tend  to  lessen  this  conviction. 

But  only  a  small  proportion  of  those  who  seven  years 
before  had  gone  forth  to  fi^ht  for  freedom  had  lived  to 

&  O 

hail  the  peace  for  the  winning  of  which  they  had  so 
freely  lavished  their  hearts'  blood. 

And  it  was  not  among  the  soldiers  only  that  death  had 
been  thinning  the  ranks.  Of  those  who  had  so  heroi- 

l  This  paper  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  descendants  of  Seth  Howell. 


A  HEROIC  SACRIFICE.  417 

cally  stayed  to  guard  their  homes,  many  a  one  enfeebled 
physically  by  the  ceaseless  suspense,  the  lack  of  nourish 
ing  food,  and  the  unaccustomed  toil,  had  at  last,  in  spite 
of  the  "  high  courage  "  that  had  upheld  their  souls,  been 
forced  to  yield  the  struggle. 

And  now  from  across  the  Sound  those  who  had  been 
so  cruelly  exiled  were  flocking  back,  and  there  was 
scarcely  a  family  among  them  that  had  not  left  one  or 
more  of  its  members  lying  with  folded  hands  in  some  old 
New  England  churchyard. 

But  whatever  sorrows  of  their  own  these  brave  hearts 
carried,  —  the  exiles  returning  to  their  desolate  and  im 
poverished  farms ;  the  soldiers  forging  home  in  their 
ragged  regimentals,  footsore  and  penniless ;  the  patriots 
who,  remaining,  had  suffered  a  daily  martyrdom  from 
the  presence  of  the  foe  and  the  persecutions  of  their  Tory 
friends,  —  all  were  alike  exultant.  Peace  had  come,  and 
they  were  no  longer  under  the  yoke. 

One  of  the  veterans  that  came  back  that  summer  was 
Aaron  Neale. 

He  was  worn  and  haggard,  and  Margaret  refrained 
from  troubling  him  with  questions.  But  he -was  quick  to 
understand  the  mute  appeal  in  the  sorrowful  young  eyes. 

"It  is  the  will  of  the  Lord,  little  one,"  he  said,  draw 
ing  her  to  him.  And  she  knew  that  he  had  nothing  to 
tell  her. 

A  day  or  two  later  she  was  hastily  summoned  to  the 
Brewsters'  with  the  word  that  Miss  Frances  was  dying. 

Dr.  Sage  was  standing  by  the  bed  when  she  entered 
the  room,  and  his  face  told  her  that  there  was  no  hope. 


41 8  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

She  had  come  in  so  quietly  that  Deborah,  whose  head 

was  buried  in  her  sister's  pillow,  did  not  hear  her ;   but 

the  invalid  looked  up  eagerly. 

"  Lodowick,"  she  whispered.      "  Has  he  come?" 
But  before  any  one  could  frame  an  answer,  she  no 

longer  needed  to  be  told,  for  the  saintly  spirit  had  passed 

beyond  earth's  limitations. 


PEACE.  419 


CHAPTER   LIII. 

PEACE. 

T^ARLY  in  the  autumn  Lieutenant  Burton  appeared 
l^/  again.  He  had  sold  his  commission  to  a  wealthy 
Tory  who  was  anxious  to  leave  the  country  without  be 
ing  considered  a  refugee,  and  thenceforth  the  young 
Englishman  declared  himself  an  American.  But  he  was 
as  English  as  ever  in  his  fondness  for  walking,  and  was 
always  happy  when  he  could  prevail  on  any  of  his  friends 
to  join  him  in  his  rambles. 

One  afternoon  Ben  found  him  standing  at  the  gate 
with  Deborah,  who,  Ben  thought  at  the  moment,  was 
looking  unpardonably  pretty.  They  were  waiting  for 
Margaret ;  and  Ben,  stalking  past  them  with  the  stiffest 
of  bows,  waylaid  her  in  the  entry. 

"So  that's  what  he  turned  American  for?"  he 
growled. 

"  For  Debby?  Ben  !  "  And  Meg  laughed  merrily,  in 
spite  of  her  heavy  heart.  "It  was  Betty  turned  him, 
you  foolish  boy.  We  are  going  there  now." 

"  Oho  !  that's  the  way  the  wind  sets,  is  it?  Well,  he's 
a  fine  fellow.  I  always  liked  him."  And  soon  the  four 
were  sauntering  abreast  along  the  wide,  still  street.  But 
Ben  had  taken  good  care  to  get  beside  Debby. 


420  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

Half  way  to  the  Osgoods'  they  met  Betty  herself, 
smiling  and  rosy.  Whereupon  the  lieutenant,  with  no 
mind  to  be  cheated  out  of  his  walk,  proposed  their  going 
on,  the  country,  he  urged,  was  so  gorgeous  in  its  autumn 
coloring.  But  Margaret  went  with  them  only  as  far  as 
her  uncle's. 

"They  are  lovers,  and  are  sufficient  for  themselves," 
she  said,  looking  after  them  with  sad  eyes. 

On  going  in  she  found  that  her  Aunt  Ruth  had  gone 
to  one  of  the  neighbors'.  She  was  disappointed,  for  she 
was  feeling  unutterably  lonely  and  out  of  tune. 

"  We  had  hoped  to  see  Richard  and  Joel  home  before 
this,"  said  Grandma  Osgood,  with  a  patient  little  sigh. 
And  then,  scanning  the  sorrowful  young  face  with  her 
kind  old  eyes,  she  asked  gently,  "No  news?" 

Margaret  shook  her  head,  and  went  home  with  her 
heart  clamoring.  Oh,  to  know  !  to  know  !  Was  the  long 
silence  never  to  be  broken?  Was  the  haunting  mystery 
to  go  on  forever? 

When  she  reached  the  house  she  saw  Rick  letting 
down  the  barnyard  bars  with  Lord  Lion  in  tow  ;  and  in 
the  desperate  hope  of  shaking  off  her  despondency  she 
determined  to  have  a  gallop. 

"Run  get  the  saddle,  Rick,"  she  said,  putting  her 
arm  over  Lord  Lion's  neck.  Rick  rushed  back  grin 
ning  with  delight;  and  while  she  waited,  through  the 
hazy  autumn  stillness  came  the  sound  of  hoofs.  Lion 
pricked  up  his  sensitive  ears. 

"Hark,  Lion!"  she  whispered,  for  the  rider  was 
calling  eagerly  to  some  one  in  passing ;  but  she  could 


PEACE.  42 1 

make  nothing  out  of  the  wild  jumble  of  words.  As  he 
came  nearer  she  saw  that  it  was  Burt  Osgood,  and  then 
she  remembered  Betty's  telling  her  that  he  had  gone  to 
Southampton.  He  was  waving  furiously  a  tattered  flag, 
which,  faded  as  it  was,  still  showed  the  stars  and  stripes ; 
and  now  she  began  to  comprehend  what  he  was  shout 
ing*  - 

"  The  treaty  has  been  ratified  !  " 

He  was  going  by  without  stopping;  but  she  called  to 
him  breathlessly,  — 

"Is  it  true,  Burt?" 

"Why,  to  be  sure,  Meg!  You  don't  suppose  I'd  be 
wasting  my  wind  shouting  it  if  it  wasn't?  "  he  answered, 
pulling  up  at  the  bars.  "The  treaty  has  been  ratified, 
and  the  whole  army  is  to  be  disbanded." 

J 

"  How  soon,  Burt,  how  soon?" 

But  Burt  had  spurred  on. 

"Wot  dat  mean,  my  —  Miss  Marge?"  asked  Rick, 
as  Lord  Lion  lowered  his  head  for  the  bridle.  "  Dey's 
watified  de  tweaty?" 

"It  means  peace,  Rick.  It  means  that  the  war  is 
truly  ended  at  last,  thank  God  !  Now,,  then,  Lion  !  " 
And  springing  into  the  saddle,  she  made  haste  to  over 
take  the  lovers  to  tell  them  the  good  news. 

The  next  day  Richard  Osgood  and  his  brother  ar 
rived.  They  reported  that  all  the  soldiers  were  to  be 
discharged  on  the  third  of  November,  and  that  the  Brit 
ish  were  making  speedy  preparations  for  the  evacuation 
of  New  York. 

Not  long  after  this  a  letter  came  from  Mrs.  Angel. 


422  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"A  neighbor  who  has  recently  returned,"  she  wrote, 
"  and  who  was  for  a  time  a  prisoner  on  the  Hunter,  tells 
me  that  there  was  a  man  on  board  named  Brewster,  and 
that  he  had  expected  to  come  home  on  the  cartel  that  ar 
rived  while  you  were  here,  but  he  voluntarily  gave  up 
his  place  to  young  Braydon,  the  ship's  surgeon  having 
said  that  it  was  the  poor  fellow's  only  chance  of  life, 
and  in  the  confusion,  Lodowick's  knapsack  was  sent  off 
with  him." 

Margaret  lifted  a  white  face  from  the  letter. 

"  O  my  God  !  that  a  life  like  Lodowick's  should  have 
been  sacrificed  for  that  shallow,  vacillating  boy  !  "  she 
moaned.  And  what  had  it  availed?  But  in  the  midst 
of  her  bitterness  the  thought  of  the  heroism  of  the  sacri 
fice  flooded  her  soul  with  a  proud  joy. 

She  was  re-reading  the  letter  when  Ben  came  in ;  but 
he  was  so  intent  on  what  he  had  to  tell  that  he  took  no 
notice  at  first  of  what  she  was  doing. 

"Meg,"  he  cried,  "  Seth  Howell  knows  all  about  Will 
Braydon ;  and  he  says  the  report  that  he  turn'd  Tory 
was  no  yarn.  He'd  been  in  the  British  army  more  than 
two  years  when  our  men  captured  him.  Seth  says  he 
was  mightily  ashamed  of  himself,  and  I  should  think  he 
would  have  been.  Our  folks  discharged  him  on  parole, 
and  after  a  while  he  managed  to  get  a  place  on  board  a 
privateer.  The  vessel  was  taken  by  the  enemy,  and  he 
with  the  rest  of  the  crew  was  sent  to  one  of  the  prison- 
ships.  So  there's  the  long  and  short  of  it,  and  all  Deb- 
by's  pity  wasted  !  " 

Margaret  held  out  to  him  Mrs.  Angel's  letter. 


PEACE.  423 

"  Here's  the  rest  of  the  story,  Ben,"  she  said  quietly. 

The  young  fellow  drew  a  long  breath  when  he  fin 
ished  the  reading. 

"  Lodowick  Brewster  for  Will  Braydon  !  But  'twas 
just  like  Lod.  And  just  like  Will  Braydon  to  let  him 
do  it.  I  wonder  what  Miss  Debby'll  say  when  she  finds 
that  he  was  a  Tory  after  all  ?  But  there's  never  any 
telling  what  a  girl'll  say  or  do." 

"Poor  Debby !  "  sighed  Margaret,  unable  to  keep 
from  smiling  at  this  spurt  of  cynicism.  "It  seems 
almost  cruel  to  undeceive  her." 

"Oh!  don't  worry,"  cried  Ben.  "If  she  can  per 
suade  herself  that  that  young  popinjay  was  a  hero  and 
a  martyr,  let  her  take  what  comfort  she  can  out  of  it. 
I'm  not  going  to  enlighten  her.  Besides,"  he  added, 
softening  at  the  remembrance  that  he  was  speaking  of 
the  dead,  "he  gave  his  life  for  his  country  in  the  end  — 
after  a  fashion." 

Margaret  pressed  her  lips  together  and  was  silent. 
She  could  be  pitiful  to  Deborah,  but  she  still  found  it 
hard  to  think  kindly  of  the  poor  soul  for  whom  her  hero 
had  been  so  uselessly  sacrificed. 

Yet — and  her  heart  gave  a  great  leap  —  who  knew 
but  he  might  still  be  living?  And  on  the  instant  she 
resolved  to  make  another  search  for  him.  But  before 
she  had  time  to  shape  her  plan,  Ben  came  to  her  with 
the  startling  announcement  that  Debby  and  he  were  to 
be  married  the  next  week. 

"And  what  I  want,  if  you  don't  mind,"  he  added, 
"is  to  have  the  wedding  here." 


424  4N  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

"  Of  course  it  must  be  here,"  she  said.  And  though 
she  would  gladly  have  urged  a  month's  delay,  she  felt 
that  it  would  be  a  pity  to  dampen  his  joy,  he  was  so 
radiantly  happy. 

And  scarcely  had  Ben  left  her,  when  Betty  came  in 
and  shyly  confided  to  her  that  she  and  the  lieutenant  had 
decided  to  be  married  in  the  course  of  a  fortnight. 

"Why  not  have  both  weddings  at  the  same  time  ?" 
said  Margaret  quickly. 

And  as  not  only  Betty  and  the  lieutenant,  but  Mis 
tress  Prudence  also,  readily  fell  in  with  this  propo 
sition,  the  double  wedding  took  place  the  following 
Tuesday. 

Margaret,  though  too  unselfish  to  begrudge  them  their 
happiness,  looked  on  with  sad  eyes ;  and  when  it  came 
to  wishing  them  joy,  she  very  nearly  broke  down.  But 
her  grandfather  drew  her  hand  to  his  arm,  and  hastened 
to  offer  congratulations. 

"A  little  time  ago,  Elizabeth,"  he  said,  dryly,  as  he 
saluted  the  bride,  "  thou  would'st  have  been  setting  the 
country  a  dangerous  example  in  making  terms  with  the 
enemy  without  first  claiming  thy  independence." 

"Oh!  it  shall  be  granted  her  all  the  same,  Friend 
Thurston,"  cried  the  groom  gallantly.  "  It  is  a  part  of 
our  treaty.  Every  Englishman,  henceforth,  that  mar 
ries  an  American  is  bound  to  acknowledge  her  right  to 
the  '  Declaration.' ' 

Priest  Buell,  who  was  holding  the  bride's  hand, 
bowed  smilingly  to  the  lieutenant. 

"And  may  this  happy  union  between  those  who  so 


PEACE.  425 

lately  called  themselves  enemies,"  he  said,  laying  Bet 
ty's  hand  in  that  of  her  husband,  "  prove  a  prophecy  of 
that  happy  day  when  the  treaty  of  peace  between  the 
two  nations  shall  be  sealed  with  love." 

He  had  barely  finished  this  little  speech  when  Ben 
jamin  Huntting,  from  Southampton,  walked  in  with  a 
letter  in  his  hand.  Dr.  Henry  White,  lately  released 
from  one  of  the  British  prison-ships,  he  said,  had  been 
commissioned  to  deliver  this  letter  to  Friend  Thurston. 
They  ought  to  have  had  it  several  days  sooner,  he 
added  ;  but  Henry,  though  he  had  waited  for  weeks  to 
recruit,  was  still  so  feeble  that  it  had  taken  him  a  fort 
night  to  make  the  journey  down  the  Island. 

"Ah,  it's  for  thee,  Margaret,"  said  the  old  Quaker, 
on  removing  the  foolscap  wrapper. 

Margaret,  quivering  with  new-born  hope,  caught  it 
from  him,  and  turned  to  the  nearest  light. 

"  Oh,  read  it,  grandpa,  read  it !  "  she  cried  presently, 
her  eyes  shining  like  stars. 

"Ah,  friends!  this  is  good  news,"  said  the  old  man, 
hastily  scanning  the  letter.  "It  is  from  Lodowick 
Bre\vster.  He  was  released  from  one  of  the  prison-ships 
some  time  ago,  but  in  so  helpless  a  condition  that  he  was 
taken  to  our  friends  the  Remsens  at  the  Wallabout  with 
but  little  expectation  that  he  would  ever  reach  home 
alive.  But  he  has  finally  begun  to  rally,  and  hopes  soon 
to  be  with  us." 

"  If  \ve  had  only  known  it  a  few  hours  sooner,"  la 
mented  Debby,  in  the  midst  of  the  rejoicing. 

Then,  of  a  sudden,  Silas  Post  swung  open  the  door, 


426  AN  ISLAND  HEROINE. 

and  on  the  threshold  stood  a  tall,  gaunt  form,  with  a 
scarred  and  pallid  face. 

"  It's  Lodowick  himself!"  cried  Ben,  awe-struck. 

There  was  a  quick  stir  among  the  wedding  guests, 
and  a  chorus  of  exclamations.  But  a  girlish  figure  in  a 
gray  gown  of  homespun  wool  was  flying  toward  the 
door,  and  Lodowick  was  not  conscious  of  any  other 
presence. 

"  Sweetheart !   sweetheart !  "  he  whispered. 

And  while  Deborah  went  flying  after  Margaret,  Priest 
Buell,  calling  a  halt  to  the  rest  of  the  wondering  com 
pany,  related  briefly  the  story  of  that  other  wedding 
seven  years  before.  Whereupon  Ben  protested  that  he 
had  been  grossly  defrauded  —  he  had  been  counting 
ever  since  he  could  remember  on  seeing  Meg  married. 

"Well,  well,  Ben,"  said  Priest  Buell,  with  his  joyous 
laugh,  "march  'em  up,  and  we'll  ratify  the  treaty." 

But  when  at  last,  taking  advantage  of  a  momentary 
lull,  Ben  succeeded  in  marshalling  Margaret  and  her 
hero  to  the  front,  the  little  minister,  reading  in  Lodo- 
wick's  face  the  record  of  those  terrible  years,  and  feeling 
that  it  was  scarcely  less  than  a  miracle  that  he  had  come 
forth  alive,  forgot  to  repeat  the  marriage  formula,  and 
folding  the  soldier's  hand  and  Margaret's  in  his  own, 
with  his  kind  eyes  brimming  with  tears,  he  cried,  — 

"  Let  us  give  thanks  !  " 


APPENDIX. 


"AN  ISLAND  HEROINE"  deals  so  largely  with  "real 
IJL  people  "  and  actual  occurrences  that  it  is  far  more  of  a 
history  than  a  romance,  the  "  story  "  being  merely  the  thread 
with  which  the  author  has  endeavored  to  weave  together  in  the 
order  of  their  happening  the  many  historical  facts  —  gathered 
from  countless  sources  —  that  serve  to  show  the  indomitable 
courage  and  patience  of  the  "  East  End  "  people  of  Long  Island 
during  the  War  of  the  American  Revolution. 

The  Hon.  Henry  P.  Hedges,  in  an  address  on  the  2ooth 
anniversary  of  Easthampton,  pays  these  brave  souls  this  lofty 
tribute  :  "  Left  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  foe,  plundered  by 
countryman  and  stranger  of  their  property  and  ripened  har 
vest,  robbed  of  the  stores  which  they  reaped  and  garnered, 
slandered  by  suspicious  brethren,  taunted  and  scoffed  at  by 
the  mercenary  victors,  they  never  wavered.  Their  hearts  were 
in  their  country's  cause  ;  and,  in  the  memorable  language  of 
their  great  compatriot,  '  Sink  or  swim,  live  or  die,  survive  or 
perish,'  they  were  true  to  their  country  —  unterrified,  unalter 
able,  devoted  Americans." 

The  descendants  of  these  Long  Island  patriots  are  scat 
tered  from  Maine  to  California ;  and  the  following  Revolutionary 
muster-rolls  and  lists  of  officers  are  appended  for  the  benefit  of 
those  who,  either  through  the  loss  of  family  records,  or  lack  of 
access  to  the  public  archives,  are  unable  to  tell  definitely  to 
what  company  or  regiment  their  ancestors  belonged.  Many  of 
the  names  are  from  "  The  History  of  Southampton,"  by  the 

427 


428 


APPENDIX. 


Hon.  George  R.  Howell,  —  an  authority  to  whom  the  author  is 
indebted  for  invaluable  assistance  in  the  search  for  material 
for  this  work  ;  but,  unfortunately,  the  rosters  of  some  of  the 
companies  belonging  to  the  Long  Island  regiments  were  never 
published. 


MUSTER-ROLL   OF    CAPT.    EZEKIEL    MULFORD's   COMPANY   OF   EAST- 
HAMPTON,    JULY    26,     1776. 


Ezckicl  Mulford,  Capt. 
Daniel  Sayre,  1st  Lieut. 
Nathaniel  Hand,  ad  Lieut. 
Matthew  Mulford,  Script., 
Lemuel  Pierson,  Sergt., 
Henry  Dominy,  Sergt., 


'9 
32 
29 


Henry  Shcrrill,  Corpl.,  22 

Benjamin  Crook,  Corpl.,  32 

Liullam  Parsons,  Corpl.,  29 

Thomas  Jones,  drummer,  21 

Zephaniah  Bower,  fifer,  17 


Daniel  Baker,  21  Jonathan  Hedges,  27 

Jeremiah  Barnes,  20  Nathan  Hedges,  17 

Cornelius  Bassett,  21  Zachariah  Hicks,  26 

Edward  Bennett,  37  Daniel  Hoppin,  17 

Gamaliel  Bennett,  25  Matthew  Howell,  20 

Benjamin  Conklin,  18  Aaron  Isaacs,  Jun.,  23 

Samuel  Conkling,  22  James  Loper,  39 

William  Conkling,  18  Joel  Miller,  17 

Paul  Daines,  34  Nathan  Miller,  1 7 

Samuel  Davall,  21  Peleg  Miller,  36 

Jeremiah  Dayton,  31  Henry  Moore,  26 

Daniel  Edwards,  21  Jonathan  Mulford,  20 

Isaac  Edwards,  17  Samuel  Mulford,  19 

Silas  Edwards,  24  Abraham  Osborn,  19 

Wakeman  Foster,  21  Joseph  Osborn,  21 

William  Hallock,  26  Smith  Stratton  Osborn,  17 

Joseph  Hand,  20  John  Pain,  39 

Nathan  Hand,  29  Samuel  Parsons,  22 

John  Hawks,  19  Paul  Payne,  25 

Elihu  Hedges,  17  Peter  Payne,  28 


APPENDIX. 


429 


Edmund  Perry, 
Job  Pierson, 

Joseph  Skellinger, 
Thomas  Stanborough, 


PRIVATES. 

AGE. 

30 

Paul  Stratton, 

17 

Joseph  Talmage, 

17 

Zebulon  Thompson, 

21 

20 
42 


The  following  names  were  on  a  muster-roll  of  the  same  com 
pany,  March  26,  1776,  but  not  on  the  roll  of  July  26,  1776,  and 
may  have  joined  other  companies  : 


John  Miller,  1st  Lieut. 
Abraham  Loper,  Sergt. 
Elisha  Jones,  Sergt. 
Jeremiah  Conkling,  Sergt. 

John  Askly. 
Henry  Baker. 
Jonathan  Barnes. 
William  Bassett. 
David  Bishop. 
Abraham  Coan. 
Jacob  Conkling. 
Jacob  Dayton. 
Samuel  Dayton. 
Isaiah  Dibble. 
John  Gan. 
George  Gladin. 
Jonathan  Tuthill. 


Elisha  Mulford,  Sergt. 
Isaac  Skellinger,  Corpl. 
Jeremiah  Jones,  Corpl. 
Henry  Chatfield,  drummer. 
PRIVATES. 

Eleazer  Hedges. 

Christopher  Hedges  (or  Heyes). 

David  Miller. 

Ezekiel  Miller. 

Huntting  Miller. 

John  Mulford. 

Cornelius  Osborn. 

Isaac  Pain. 

Ichabod  Raynor. 

Daniel  Sherrill. 

Samuel  Stratton. 

Enos  Talmae. 


STAFF   OF   2D    REGIMENT   OF   SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 


Colonel, 

David  Mulford, 

Lieut.  Colonel, 

Jonathan  Hedges, 

Bridgehampton. 

Major, 

Uriah  Rogers, 

Southampton. 

Major, 

George  Herrick, 

Southampton. 

Adjutant, 

Jno.  Gelston. 

Quarter  Master, 

Phineas  Howell. 

Drum  Major, 

Elias  Matthews. 

Sergt.  Major, 

Lemuel  Pierson. 

430  APPENDIX. 

A   REGIMENT   OF   MINUTE-MEN    ENGAGED   IN   THE   BATTLE   OF 
LONG    ISLAND. 

OFFICERS. 

Colonel,  Josiah  Smith,  Moriches. 

Lieut.  Colonel,  Jno.  Hulbcrt,  Easthampton. 

1st  Major,  Isaac  Reeve,  Southold. 

2cl  Major,  Jonathan  Baker,  Easthampton. 

Adjt.,  Ephraim  Marvin. 

Quarter  Master,  Ebenezer  Dayton,  Easthampton. 

EASTHAMPTON    COMPANY. 

Commissioned  Feb.  23,  1776. 
Captain,  Ezekiel  Mulforcl. 

ist  Lieut.,  Jno.  Miller. 

2d  Lieut.,  Nathl.  Hand. 

FIRST    SOUTHAMPTON    COMPANY. 

Commissioned  Feb.  23,   1776. 
Captain,  Zephaniah  Rogers, 

ist  Lieut.,  Nathl.  Howell,  Jr. 

2d  Lieut.,  Matthew  Sayre. 

SECOND    SOUTHAMPTON    COMPANY. 

Commissioned  Feb.   23,   1776. 
Captain,  David  Pierson. 

ist  Lieut.,  Jno.  Foster,  Jr. 

2d  Lieut.,  Abm.  Rose. 

Ensign,  Edward  Topping. 

FIRST    SOUTHOLD    COMPANY. 
Commissioned  May  3,  1776. 

Captain,  Jno.  Hnyley. 

1st  Lieut.,  Joshua  Youngs. 

2d  Lieut.,  Jno.  Tuthill. 

Ensign,  Jas.  Reeves. 

SECOND    SOUTHOLD    COMPANY. 

Commissioned  May  3,  1776. 
Captain,  Paul  Reeves. 

ist.  Lieut.,  Jno.  Corwin. 

2d  Lieut.,  David  Ilorton. 

Ensign,  Nathl.  Hudson. 


APPENDIX. 


431 


BROOKHAVEN,    SMITHTOWN,    MANOR    OF    ST.    GEORGE,    AND 
MORICHES    COMPANY. 

Commissioned  April  4,  1776. 
Captain,  Selah  Strong. 

1st  Lieut.,  William  Clark. 

2cl  Lieut.,  Caleb  Brewster. 

Ensign,  Nathl.  Brewster. 

May  30,  1776  a  return  of  this  Regiment  gives  Isaac  Overton, 
;d  Major,  vice  Baker  ;  Captain  Nathl.  Platt  rice  Selah  Strong. 


Captain, 
Capt.  Lieut., 
1st  Lieut., 
2cl  Lieut., 
Lieut., 


ARTILLERY    COMPANY. 
William  Rogers. 
Jno.  Franks. 
Jeremiah  Rogers. 
Thomas  Baker. 
Jno.  Tuthill. 


Bridgehampton. 


A  RETURN  OF  THE  EXTRAORDINARY  MUSTERING  OF  MINUTE- 
MEN  OF  SOUTHAMPTON, 

Sworn  to  upon   Oat/!,  Aug.   10,   17/6. 


Zephaniah  Rogers,  Capt. 
Mathew  Sayre,  2tl  Lieut. 
Zebulon  Jessup,  Sergt. 
Timothy  Halsey,  Sergt. 
Philip  Halsey,  Fifer. 
Mathew  Ilowell,  Corpl. 
George  Ludlam,  Corpl. 


Nathaniel  Ilowell,  1st  Lieut. 
David  Ilaines  Foster,  Sergt. 
John  Pierson,  Sergt. 
Obadiah  Jones,  Jr.,  Drummer. 
Joseph  Goodale,  Corpl. 
Samuel  Bishop,  Corpl. 


Zebulon  Jennings. 

Isaac  Jessup. 

David  Rose. 

Asa  Foster. 

William  Hill. 

Thomas  Johnes. 

Henry  Ilaines. 

Abraham  Rogers. 

Silvanus  Jennings. 

Abraham  Sayre. 

Benjamin  Cooper. 

John  Pelletreau. 

Silas  Rugg. 

Abraham  Jagger. 

Jehial  Howell. 

Charles  Woolly. 

Stephen  Reeves,  Jr. 

James  Stephens. 

Stephen  Ray  nor. 

Richard  Fowler. 

Jonathan  Howell. 

William  Foster. 

James  Novies. 

Stephen  Rogers. 

John  Palbertson. 

William  Howell. 

William  Raynor. 

Edmund  Howell. 

Job  Rogers. 

William  Goldsmith 

432  APPENDIX. 

RETURN   OF   THE   NAMES    OF  THE  PERSONS    FOR   OFFICERS    OF   THE 
SECOND    BATTALION    IN    SUFFOLK    COUNTY, 

Commissioned  Sept.   13,  1775. 
IST  COMPANY,  — 

Capt.   David  Howell ;    1st   Lieut.  Jere.  Post;    ad  Lieut.   Paul  Jones; 

Ensign  Zephniah  Rogers. 
20  COMPANY,  — 

Capt.  John  Dayton;    ist  Lieut.   Isaac  Mulford  Huntting;    2d  Lieut. 

Jno.  Miller,  Jr. ;  Ensign  William  Hedges. 
30  COMPANY,  — 

Capt.  David  Pierson;    1st   Lieut.  Daniel   Hedges;    ad   Lieut.    David 

Sayre;   Ensign  Theophilus  Pierson. 
4x11  COMPANY, — 

Capt.  David  Fithan  ;  1st  Lieut.  Samuel  Conkling  ;  ad  Lieut.  Thomas 

Baker  ;    Ensign  Daniel  Conkling. 
STH  COMPANY,  — 

Capt.  Stephen  Howell;   1st  Lieut.  John  White,  Jr.;  ad  Lieut.  Lemuel 

Wick;    Ensign  Isaac  Ilalsey. 
6rn  COMPANY,  — 

Capt.   William  Rogers;     1st   Lieut.   Jesse   Halsey;    ad  Lieut.  Henry 

Halsey ;    Ensign  Nathaniel  Rogers. 
7TH  COMPANY,  — 

Capt.  Josiah  Ilowell;  1st  Lieut.  Nathaniel  Howell;  ad  Lieut.  Matthew 

Howell ;   Ensign  William  Stephens. 
STH  COMPANY, — 

Capt.    Samuel    L'Hommedieu;     1st    Lieut.    Silas   Jessup;    ad    Lieut. 

Edward  Conkling;    Ensign  Daniel  Fortlham. 
9TH  COMPANY,  — 

Capt.  John  Sandford ;    1st  Lieut.  Edward  Topping ;    ad  Lieut.  Philip 
Howell;    Ensign  John  Ilildreth. 


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